In Washington State, however, there is a forest-filled ship that serves another purpose.
The ship is now a part of maritime history and was placed on the National Historic Register in 1990.
La Merced has a long and storied history since its creation in 1917.
Photo:Daren Jessip
While four-masted schooners once numbered in the hundreds, La Merced is one of just four that remain intact.
But the ship’s adventure didn’t end there.
As the end of the boat’s working life neared, it was sold for salvage in 1965.
Photo:John Gateley
It was then that its majestic masts were cut off.
The shipyard is where the boat remains today, nestled into rocks and rubble.
Using the salvaged ship as a breakwater was quite forward-thinking for the owner of Lovric’s Shipyard.
It was Lovric who had an eye for repurposing La Merced.
He brought the boat to its current location just one year after he purchased the property.
And here it remains; a piece of nautical history continuing to live on in a new role.
La Merced is a four-masted schooner that has been transformed into a breakwater.
Photo:Daren Jessip
Over time, trees have filled the sand-filled hull.
Photo:John Gateley
