La Jenelle: Recovered Relics from a Local Legend
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LA JENELLE: RECOVERED RELICS FROM A LOCAL LEGEND JUNE 27, 2016 - OCTOBER 2, 2016 OPENING RECEPTION: JULY 14, 2016 FROM 5 PM - 7 PM This exhibition explores the fascinating history of the infamous “Ship with Five Names.” Local attraction La Jenelle is more than just a sunken ship off the coast of Oxnard, California. Delve deep into the history of this ship through artifacts and objects recovered from the wreck and collected over decades by local enthusiasts. These objects have never before been displayed together, and tell a decades-long story about voyages of adventure, escape, new beginnings, and untimely endings. The exhibition tells the story of each chapter of the ship, starting with Borinquen, the name under which she first sailed. She was subsequently named the Porto Rico, Arosa Star, S.S. Bahama Star, and finally La Jenelle. BORINQUEN Originally named Borinquen, she was completed for the New York and Puerto Rico Steamship Company. The ship's name comes from the Taino language name, Borikén, for the island of Puerto Rico. Borinquen was delivered to the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Lines (AGWI) for operation by AGWI's subsidiary, New York & Porto Rico Line. The ship arrived in New York on February 22, 1931 and began her working career with a maiden voyage from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which would become her regular scheduled route. She carried 261 first-class passengers and 96 second-class passengers on a fortnightly service to the Dominican Republic. On December 31, 1941, during World War II, she was requisitioned for U.S. war service from Agwilines, Inc. by the War Shipping Administration. Beginning on January 15, 1942 the ship's operations centered on the North Atlantic with overseas ports in Iceland and Scotland until May 10, when she departed Scotland for Freetown, Sierra Leone and began a period of operation involving African ports. In June she began a voyage from Cape Town, South Africa to Aden, Yemen and Suez, Egypt before returning to West African operations. After a return to New York on the 10th August, she began operations beginning in November from Belfast, Ireland and Liverpool, England involving North Africa and Britain with Oran, Casablanca and Algiers as usual ports before making port in Palermo, Sicily on July 31, 1943. After a return to New York on August 22, 1943 operations were between ports in the United States and Britain until on June 5 she departed Swansea with the destination being listed as Port en Bessin, France that was the arrival off Normandy invasion beaches on June 7, 1944. She made one more trip to Belfast returning to Grandcamp, France July 9 before beginning a shuttle service largely between Belfast and Liverpool until a return to New York October 25, 1944. After departing from New York on January 3, 1945 she again began a routine shuttle between Southampton and Le Havre until a run to Marseille in August and a return to New York on August 31, 1945. On May 6, 1944 Borinquen was transferred to direct War Department operation by the Transportation Corps under bareboat charter as the USAT Borinquen until returned to Agwilines June 14, 1946. She had a capacity for 1,289 troops and 404 medical patients. USAT Borinquen was one of the Army transports at Normandy. In 1946, she returned to Bethlehem Steel for major renovation. PORTO RICO The career of the Porto Rico was short lived. On April 25, 1949, the Borinquen was sold to the Bull Steamship Company and renamed the Porto Rico, a misspelling of Puerto Rico. She continued to serve the ports of call between New York and South America as she done before the war, sailing on 11-day round trips between New York, San Juan, and Ciudad Trujillo. She was temporarily laid up in New York before being offered up for sale in 1953. AROSA STAR In 1954 she was purchased by the Arosa Steamship Company, owned by Swiss-Italian financier Nicolo Rizzi. The Arosa Line provided trans-Atlantic service to immigrants, students, and families seeking lower fares. The ship was extensively rebuilt as a cruise liner accommodate, which were gaining popularity at the time. She underwent major renovations to improve her look: her mainmast and cargo gear aft were removed before the addition of a fashionable stern, and a streamline funnel raked back about twenty degrees. She carried 38 passengers in first class and 768 in tourist class, and renamed Arosa Star. She was used for budget transatlantic service between Bremerhaven, Germany and Quebec. In addition she was employed in Bermuda and the Caribbean cruise service and from New York to Miami. As the Arosa Star, she was the third largest ship of the Arosa Line. The two larger ships in the fleet were the flagship Arosa Sky and the older Arosa Sun (originally the French-built Felix Rousell) then came the Arosa Star, with Arosa Kulm bringing up the rear. During at least part of this period, she transported immigrants from northern Europe to Canada and the United States, with regular ports of call at Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal and New York. But with cheaper air fares, the market for hauling immigrants quickly disappeared. Competition from major companies such as Cunard, French Line, and US Lines, (who were matching his fares and had newer ships) soon forced the Arosa Line into bankruptcy in 1959. SS BAHAMA STAR Eastern Steamship Lines in June of 1959, and following another refit, the ship entered three and four night Bahamas cruise service from Miami as the Bahama Star. With all berths occupied, the now fully air conditioned ship had a rather high passenger capacity of 735. The Bahama Star has the legacy of being one of Miami’s most popular cruise ships, which lasted for the greater part of the decade. Many passengers who sailed on the Bahama Star fondly remember the slot machines, which could be played by young children in that age. They also reminisce on the local Miami teenagers who would dive off the bow of the ship to catch quarters thrown from the main deck. The boys would not surface until they had the coins in the mouth. The ship made international headlines when she rescued 378 passengers from burning fleetmate Yarmouth Castle in the Bahamas in 1965. The fatal catastrophe that was the sinking of Yarmouth Castle resulted in the reinforcement of changes that were instituted in cruise ship regulations, which had been modified one year prior. The Geneva Convention of 1964 had outlawed the type of wood construction used on the Yarmouth Castle and Bahama Star. In 1969, a hired surveyor was brought in to determine the value of the aging liner: $2,500,000 replacement value, $1.9 million as is, and $400,000 scraped out. Because the cost of complying with these new regulations was so high, the Eastern Shipping Company, doing business as the Evangeline Steamship Company, sold Bahama Star to the Sorenson and Bayles, doing business as the Western Steamship Company, sailing as a Panamanian Corporation. The Bahama Star made her last cruise in November of 1968. LA JENELLE The ship was purchased and leased to a California-based venture as the La Jenelle, named for the wife of one of the corporation’s principals. The era of the late 1960s marked the beginning of a new craze, one of which the La Janelle was to partake: themed restaurants. Two Canadian Pacific liners the Princess Alexandria and the Princess Louise, had opened as restaurants just south of Port Hueneme to much fanfare. The ship was offered as a restaurant and convention center to be moored at either Ventura Harbor or at Channel Islands Harbors, both of which catered to pleasure boaters, and both were noting phenomenal tenancy increases. After it was discovered the waters of either harbor were not deep enough for the 12,500-ton vessel, the La Jenelle lay in limbo awaiting the harbor’s dredging. She was anchored offshore to save on wharfage fees. There was much speculation on what was to come of the large vessel floating right off shore, making it difficult to determine what was fact and what was conjecture. By March 1970, it was reported in both the Ventura Star Free Press and Oxnard Press Courier that the Western Steamship Company was in serious negotiations with Indonesian interests. The prospective buyers planned on acquiring La Jenelle for general service in Asian waters. By the week of April 5, 1970, the Indonesian buyers advised the owners that they would place $1,000,000 in escrow the following week. On April 13, 1970, a northwester stuck the Channel coast. By 1:00 pm, the storm reached force 11, and the 60 mph winds and 35 ft high seas caused the ocean liner to drag her anchor. By 3:30 pm La Jenelle ran aground at her beam ends at Silver Strand beach. Two individuals were on board the ship at the time of the storm. A ship is considered abandoned after no one has been on board for 24 hours – at least two individuals must be on the ship at all times. The stranded ship keepers Ray Chestnut and Les Ellis were dramatically rescued by Lieutenant Commander Dick Shaw out of Point Mugu. The ship was stranded beyond rescue: the violent action of the wind and seas had built up a massive barrier of sand that no tug could have succeeded. The ship was quickly pillaged of everything portable, and according to Shipwrecks of Southern California, the drowning of a scavenger prompted the owners to depart for parts unknown.