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UER Mobile > US: South > S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX (Viewed 1994 times)

post by brokenbits

S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
< on 9/7/2020 9:58 PM >

Hiya!

Been a little while since my last post; the plague really threw a wrench in a lot of things. But now I'm back and I have some cool explores planned!

This one is a little unconventional as far as UrbanX goes, but it was absolutely worth the trip.

A few days ago I was visiting a buddy of mine in Galveston. While I was there, I learned about the shipwreck of the S.S. Selma

Looking to spice up my trip a bit, I decided to rent a kayak and check out the wreck for myself.

The Selma was one of 12 experimental concrete ships built in WWI as a potential method for conserving steel. It was launched for the first time on the same day Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, so it never saw any combat. Instead, it was repurposed as an oil tanker.

In 1920, the ship hit a jetty in Mexico, resulting in a 60-foot hole in the hull. Repairs were unsuccessful, so a channel was dug near Pelican Island for the ship to be intentionally sunk.

The trip out to the ship wasn't too difficult. We set off from a nearby peninsula in our two-person kayak. Ship was only about a mile off the shore in relatively calm waters.

A couple fishing boats were gathered near the vessel, but we were the only ones to actually board.

Smooth landing

Deck was full of holes to the lower levels, as well as giant rebar tetanus spears. Stable, but do watch your feet very carefully when coming here.

There have been multiple failed attempts to repurpose the Selma, all of which have failed. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the site is going to last too much longer. Seems to be in even worse shape since Astro's visit back in 2014.

Overall this was a phenomenal site with a very interesting history. Definitely among my favs.

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post by volkmared

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 1 on 9/9/2020 5:28 PM >

This is such a cool explore. We've got some cool stuff down here I'd like to kayak to. Nice pics!

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post by Aran

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 2 on 9/9/2020 7:46 PM >

Stuff like this is why I ought to invest in a kayak. Awesome explore!

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post by becckeez

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 3 on 9/9/2020 8:23 PM >

Oh my gosh, this is AMAZIIIIIIIINNNGGGGG.
Kayaking is terrifying. You have balls of steel.
Also. Abandoned ships are 100% cool. You rock.
Cool stuff!

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post by plight

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 4 on 9/10/2020 2:13 AM >

Wow what an odd ship made out of concrete. Cool pictures and sounds like a fun trip on the kayak.

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post by Astro

Usually naked

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 5 on 9/10/2020 2:48 AM >

Neat stuff! I love her. She's such a unique and tidbitty kinda vessel.

Glad you're out visiting her.

Doesn't really look particularly bad, compared to when I was there, actually. Unfortunately the environment out there isn't helping. It's amazing she's been above water as long as she has. One day there will just be lore of the ships hulking mass on the flats, with nothing visible to prove it.

_{by then seawolf park may also be entirely abandoned & submerged. Win/win?}

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post by Dee Ashley

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 6 on 9/15/2020 10:02 PM >

You have done a thing that I have said I'm "going to do," for years now. I'm slightly jealous but mostly impressed. This just strengthens my resolve to mark this one off of my bucket list ASAP.

You mentioned the waters being fairly calm, but do you think someone could do this (somewhat safely) with literally zero experience with any kind of boat or watercraft whatsoever (unless you include rivers and inner tubes

)?

Nice work on this one!

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post by brokenbits

Re: S.S. Selma Shipwreck - Galveston, TX
<Reply # 7 on 9/16/2020 4:12 AM >

Posted by Dee Ashley
You have done a thing that I have said I'm "going to do," for years now. I'm slightly jealous but mostly impressed. This just strengthens my resolve to mark this one off of my bucket list ASAP.

You mentioned the waters being fairly calm, but do you think someone could do this (somewhat safely) with literally zero experience with any kind of boat or watercraft whatsoever (unless you include rivers and inner tubes

)?

Nice work on this one!

Thanks! It was seriously worth the trip!

I honestly don't have too much kayaking experience for myself; it had been years since the last time, and same for my friend. So yeah I'd say it's doable for a beginner! It's a relatively short distance, and it's situated in a channel so you're not in open ocean. Just gotta watch the occasional waves from passing ships.

Feel free and shoot me a DM if you're curious about the details. The guy I rented the kayak from was also super helpful; he had been to the Selma before and told us how to approach it safely and what to watch out for, he even gave us some safety equipment and delivered the kayak to us at the launch site! I'd be happy to send ya his contact too

Now that I'm in the Georgia area I'm definitely gonna try and find some more kayaking trips around here too

[last edit 9/16/2020 4:14 AM by brokenbits - edited 1 times]

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