Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

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Wreck of the SS American Star, Pajara/Ajuy

This cruise liner was being towed to it's new home in Phuket, Thailand when it broke away from it's tow lines during a force 11 storm in January 1994. It subsequently ran aground and broke in two. Shortly after the grounding, the ship was pillaged by locals for most of it's fittings - examples of which can still be found in a number of bars and restaurants all around Fuerteventura. Since it's grounding, the ship has been slowly breaking up with only it's forward half remaining. As can be seen in the photograph above, taken in January 2005, the keel has been washed away from the front of the wreck making the hulking mass very unstable and extremely dangerous for anybody to attempt to swim out to it.

In November 2005, tropical storm Delta wreaked havoc around Fuerteventura and further battered the wreck causing it to list to port presenting it's deck to the full force of the incoming waves. The photograph below was taken in March 2006 during a high tide and you can see how the ocean is relentlessly pounding into the ship.

The winter storms of 2006/7 have caused the wreck to list even further with the result that the ship is in imminent danger of being totally disintegrated. The picture below was taken in February 2007.

The ocean has been relentless at it's task of destroying the wreck. The photograph below was taken during high tide in March 2007 - barely a month later than the above photograph. Whatever is left of this once proud ocean liner will very soon be no more.