Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum

(from keywestshipwreck)

Key West Shipwreck History

During the golden age of sail, over 100 ships per day passed by Key West. The waters they were sailing were well known as some of the most treacherous in the world. On average, at least one ship per week would wreck somewhere along the Florida Reef.

About the Observation Tower

The brave wreckers would watch the reef night and day from observation towers (some over 90′ high). They would also patrol the reef in their own small vessels. When a wreck was spotted, the cry of “Wreck Ashore” would echo all over the island as men scrambled to the docks to join the race to the reef. The first man to reach the wreck became the “wrecking master” who controlled the salvage operation and got a larger share of the prize. The goods salvaged from the wreck would later be sold at auction in Key West with the wrecking courts awarding anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the profit to the wreckers, depending on how dangerous and time-consuming the salvage operation had been.

End of the Wrecking Era

Eventually, with the onset of railroads, and improvements in navigational aids, shipwrecks came fewer and farther between. In 1921, the wrecking courts were closed, ending an era that had made Key West one of the richest cities in America. Today, you can relive the era of the wreckers at our historical Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.

The Isaac Allerton

The ship was 137 feet long and weighed 594 tons. The Isaac Allerton spent her years as a merchant ship carrying cargoes throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Ocean. On the night of August 28, 1856, the Isaac Allerton was caught in a hurricane off Saddlebunch Keys, 15 miles ESE of Key West.

She road anchor for several hours before the lines were cut and she ground over Washer Woman Shoals, lost her rudder and sank in Hawks Channel in five fathoms of water. The crew and passengers spent the night in longboats and were rescued the following morning by Key West wreckers led by George Alderslade. Because the ship had sunk in such deep water, the Key West wreckers were unable to salvage all the cargo. But the cargo they did salvage resulted in a payoff of over $50,000 making the Isaac Allerton the richest wreck in KEY WEST HISTORY. Over 130 years later, in 1985, the wreck of the Isaac Allerton was rediscovered by a group of local divers who had been searching for the celebrated Atocha wreck. Today you can relive the days of the Isaac Allerton and see the original cargo from the ship at our The Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum.