When the Lofthus shipwreck was proposed to be added to the state’s family of shipwrecks, a public forum took place in Boynton Beach. Area divers brought in artifacts they recovered from the wreck site. Nothing extravagant, no treasure, no valuable finds.
Nothing can be taken from the shipwreck now because it became Florida’s eighth Underwater Archaeological Preserve and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The ship grounded a mile north of the Boynton Inlet on Feb. 4, 1898. The captain and his family, their dog and cat were aboard. The crew of 16 attempted to refloat the vessel. A tug was dispatched from Miami. Nothing worked to get the ship off the shallow reef. It was declared a total loss. Anything of value was taken ashore.
Some locals insist that houses in Boynton Beach still have original lumber from the Lofthus removed from her cargo when she wrecked. Nothing was wasted in those days. Florida was still sparsely populated. Sawed lumber was expensive and hard to come by. Construction materials had to be imported and were costly. Areas away from the coast, west of the settlement of Boynton Beach, were mostly swamps.
Wreckage from the Lofthus is 1.1 miles north of the Boynton Inlet in only 10 to 18 feet of water. Twisted metal comes up off the bottom just in front of the third house north of the curve on A1A. The shipwreck is popular among sea anglers. Fishermen anchor around the wreckage when weather is calm. The tangled metal offers haven to fish and lobsters.
Long ago, before billionaires created an impenetrable wall that now prevents access to the beach, the Lofthus was an easy shipwreck to explore. Manalapan Police allowed unobtrusive parking along A1A. Divers could be dropped off and gain access to the beach by walking down a well-trod path.
Unfortunately with every inch of oceanfront now taken over by super-rich mansion dwellers, even though their estates are rarely occupied, police strictly patrol and refuse to allow parking or access to the beach.
Current access to the Lofthus is either by parking at Ocean Inlet Park, 6990 N. Ocean Blvd., and walking 1.1 miles north on the beach below high-tide mark or going by boat. Watch the weather. When the ocean is rough, waves break in shore and the shipwreck remains are not safe to dive. Calm ocean and little wind make the it a fun place to explore.
On one calm day, we were snorkeling the Lofthus. It was fun. Guitar fish were all over lazing in the sand. A nurse shark lolled about. Spiny lobsters seemed oblivious to our presence when we dove down. We were snorkeling with only light gear so we left the car at the county park and walked north along the beach.
There is nothing of an upright shipwreck left of the Lofthus. As close inshore as it is, about 150 or so yards off the beach, the wreckage gets sanded in. Winds and ocean conditions take the sand away at times and expose more of the twisted hulk. At one place a beam comes up under the surface. This shallow beam can damage a ship with deep draft. It is always best to keep close watch when trying to anchor. Drop your hook in the sand so as not to get it tangled in the wreckage.
Occasionally, the Lofthus becomes a diver surface interval stop. Dive boats that seek Horseshoe Reef in good weather occasionally anchor near the shipwreck so their divers can snorkel over it. It is one of the few actual historic shipwrecks in the Boynton Beach area.
The scattered wreckage of the Inchulva off Delray Beach is another actual shipwreck. Inchulva can be easily reached from the public beach. Lifeguards willingly point out where people can snorkel. Very often, however, Inchulva is sanded in. Its boiler sticks out above the sand. Juvenile tropical fish abound.
Capt. Fromberg, his wife and family lived in their cabin aboard Lofthus until its salvage was abandoned. He would invite locals aboard for a meal and was often invited ashore. When they left the area, a local family adopted their dog. The wreckage of this old ship is fun. That it is a piece of Boynton Beach’s maritime past makes it a great tale to tell.
The Lofthus was built in Sunderland, England at the T. R. Oswald shipyard. When it was launched on Oct. 5, 1868, the vessel was christened Cashmere by the Liverpool Shipping Company. The ship measured 222.8 feet long with a 36.7-foot beam. In gross tonnage, the Cashmere was certified at 1,277 tons. After its service in Europe as a general cargo ship, a Norwegian bought it in 1897, thus the name change to Lofthus.
Transferred to the American trade, the vessel was heading from Pensacola to Buenos Aires with a cargo of lumber when it wrecked off our shores. The ship had no value and could not be salvaged. When it was sold for $1,000, it was blown apart with dynamite to get at the cargo of lumber. Twisted remains of the hulk defy any notion of an intact shipwreck sitting on the bottom.
When diving the Lofthus, please comply with state rules. Do not remove anything from the wreckage. Divers that found brass items on the site before it became a shipwreck preserve offered to contribute them to form a museum display landlubbers can enjoy. Have fun and dive into the past just off our shore.
John Christopher Fine is a South Florida Community News correspondent.
