S.S. Selma

By wilk written 4/9/06 4:49 PM, published 4/9/06 4:49 PM
The S.S. Selma, an oil tanker built in 1919 when the world's steel was in short supply, served about a year when she hit a jetty off the Florida coast. The owners brought the ship to Galveston, but no one in Galveston knew how to repair concrete ships.  The Selma was stripped and skuttled in the shallow water near Pelican Island.  Almost 90 years later I got a close up look see.

Popup LinkTake a Bow
Popup LinkHull Damage
Popup LinkConcrete and Rebar
Popup LinkPort Hole
Popup LinkI Don't Even Know
Popup LinkThings Fall Apart


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  • surferguy 4/9/06 4:55 PM
    absolutely great Wilk... great set...

    - WoooFrigginHoooo...

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  • bugaboo 4/9/06 4:57 PM
    I had never heard of Selma before, great pics!

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  • jessa 4/9/06 4:58 PM
    I don't even know.... what a great shot. Wow! Wow! Har har, I like that one a lot. Great set! I love the contrasting rust colors. :)

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  • Anonymous Hero 4/9/06 5:01 PM
    These are awesome shots.....port holes is really great.

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  • debora 4/9/06 5:30 PM
    who knew this was in the backyard???!!! thank you - once again - for opening my eyes.

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  • Braettie 4/9/06 5:33 PM
    The colors are great and the wreck looks amazing. I Don't Even Know cracked me up.

    - Junk Museum

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  • Beholden 4/9/06 7:19 PM
    Fascinating shots......thanks for the lesson.....yikes!

    - ummmm

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  • junio 4/9/06 7:23 PM
    Great set of shots! I wonder what it looked like in it's heyday?

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  • northstar 4/9/06 7:25 PM
    I keep looking at how this ship is made, concrete, very cool.

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  • wilk 4/9/06 7:28 PM
    Junio -- try this http://www.concreteships.org/ships/ww1/selma/

    -      Oh Shoot

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  • loweho 4/9/06 9:21 PM
    Great shots and a geat set, wilk! I saw a show on the history channel where they made a bunch of giant concrete boats in Great Britain to float over to France and sink for breakwaters during the Normandy Invasion.

    - Fickle Finger of F8

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  • Yard Dog 4/10/06 6:49 AM
    Awesome pic's!

    - I need a nap.

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  • austinspace 4/10/06 1:21 PM
    Wow, a concrete ship. Weird! Great shots, Bill...I was also amused by the "I Don't Know" shot. And your pix are much more interesting than the ones in that link.

    - here and there

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  • wilk 4/10/06 2:48 PM
    John, I'm always amazed by that. Presumably these guys have more time -- I was on a harbor tour boat that buzzed the ship -- and can select their shots better. . . You'd think their photos would be excellent.

    -      Oh Shoot

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  • wilk 6/1/06 6:46 PM
    Joe -- I took the Galveston Harbor Tour (The one that is at the same dock as the Elyssa) and the tour took us within a few yards of the Selma -- If you get a chance, I'd recommend it.

    -      Oh Shoot

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