In the depths of Grays Harbor and surrounding ocean areas you’ll find graveyards of ships lost over the decades, each with a unique story. One of them is the famed SS Catala, a 229-foot ship built in Scotland in 1925. It arrived in Ocean Shores in 1962 and operated as a charter fishing base, hotel, and restaurant on the north side of Damon Point.
January 1, 1965 brought a severe storm which grounded the SS Catala and listed it starboard. Numerous attempts failed to re-float the ship and from 1965-1980 it became a local attraction where people climbed on and around the grounded ship for fun and entertainment. In 1980 the stacks and cabin decks were cut off to the sand line and the remainder of the ship was buried until 2006 when another severe storm uncovered it. Following was a full-scale removal and disposal of the remains.
Artifacts from the SS Catala and several other shipwrecks are on display inside and out, allowing their legacies to live on.
