"Forgotton"

An abandoned ship near Inverness, California during a landscape workshop on Sept. 20th, 2013

Beached on a sandbar in Inverness, Ca...
Read more

An abandoned ship near Inverness, California during a landscape workshop on Sept. 20th, 2013

Beached on a sandbar in Inverness, California, the abandoned Point Reyes Boat would seem to be little more than a large piece of detritus littering an otherwise protected wetland, but don't tell that to the droves of photographers that take advantage of its moldering beauty.

Known as the Tomales Bay Shipwreck, the Inverness Shipwreck, or the S.S. Point Reyes, the tall fishing boat was once in danger of being removed, but it was local photographers who actually saved it. The vessel was originally dragged aground by the land's previous owner who had intended to fix the ship up. However, like many fixer-upper projects, he never actually got around to the repairs, leaving the boat, which still bears the name, "Point Reyes," to decay on the shore.

When the land was taken over by a wetlands restoration firm, the boat was an obvious target for removal. But thanks to the attention the local photographers and visitors gave the wreck, the company allowed it stay right where it was.

*In February 2016, a careless photographer unintentionally set fire to the boat, which mostly destroyed what remained of it.

Read less