Sunday, January 10, 2010

Where coastal geology and maritime history meet...

In beautiful Grayland, WA in fact...



I find myself enthralled by stories like this one precisely because they offer so much of interest. They tell a story of coastal accretion and retreat that extends well beyond most of our lifetimes AND most of our records. In this case, it is a reminder that a section of coast that is deemed relentlessly and chronically erosive wasn't always so. It took some serious and prolonged accretion to bury this boat. Where did all of that material come from and, most importantly, why did the pattern of accretion change over time?

This story, though, is also one of shipwreck, which is always a topic to engage any self-respecting coast nerd. As of right now, the actual identity of this boat is still to be determined, but some 80+ years ago the loss of this ship, no doubt, factored heavily into the lives of some people. Stories were woven and lost, but may now be re-told...