Shipwreck at Peterson's Point
The schooner Nora Harkins runs aground at the mouth of Grays Harbor after a mechanical failure leaves her helpless against the surf.
On Monday the schooner Nora Harkins, bound for Slade's mill, went ashore at Peterson's Point. She was sailing in over the bar when her rudder became detached and she was at the mercy of the waves. Had she been at sea a new rudder could have been made in an hour, but at this time, under full sail, it was but a question of minutes when she drifted ashore, and now lies hard fast in the moonstone bed. She was also unfortunate enough to lose a sailor just before crossing the bar.
“Had she been at sea a new rudder could have been made in an hour, but at this time, under full sail, it was but a question of minutes when she drifted ashore.”
The treacherous nature of the Grays Harbor bar claimed many vessels during the timber boom era. Today, shipwrecks are rare, but the hazards of maritime navigation in this region continue to define the local economy and culture.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.