- April 26, 2024
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The beached AMG shrimping boat near the Cardinal Drive beach approach has attracted a lot of curious spectators since its arrival last week, but this isn't the first time a ship has wrecked in Ormond Beach's shores — just a few feet away is the 122-year-old remains of the historic Nathan F. Cobb schooner.
Whether by coincidence or science, the AMG vessel, named Miss Jacqueline III, rests in close proximity to the 1896 wreckage of the 656-
ton schooner, adding complicating factors to her removal. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Luke Clayton said the owner of Miss Jacqueline III has submitted several removal plans which need to go up the chain of command in the local Coast Guard district before the boat can be moved. It's a precaution due to the nearby historic wreckage.
“We want to ensure that that is not disturbed through their plan," Clayton said.
As of now, there is no established timeline regarding the boat's removal. Clayton said the Coast Guard will not rush it, since the primary concern is to avoid turning Miss Jacqueline III into a marine hazard. There were no reported injuries during the incident.
In December of 1896, the Nathan F. Cobb capsized while en route to carry timber from Brunswick, Georgia, to New York. The crew was
able to right the schooner by removing its three masts. For four days, the Cobb drifted in the ocean before grounding on a sandbar in Ormond Beach near what is now the Cardinal Drive beach approach.
Joseph D. Price, co-builder and Manager of Hotel Ormond, gathered about 40 people to assist in rescuing the crew on Dec. 5, 1896. The hotel's bookkeeper, 23-year-old Freeman Waterhouse, even drowned while trying to reach the Cobb in a lifeboat.
Now, over a century later, a post reading "Warning: Submerged Debris" marks the schooner's final resting place.
Not all of the Cobb remains underwater. In fact, some of the vessel's wood was used to build a cottage in the city, which is now part of Ormond's historic homes in Orchard Lane.
Ormond Beach Historical Society board member Tom Massfeller owns the Nathan Cobb Cottage, built in 1897 by William C. “Billy” Fagen, one of the city's founders. Fagen wasn't in town when the
ship wrecked, but got permission to salvage parts of the ship for the cottage upon his return.
When Massfeller went down to the beach to see Miss Jacqueline III, he was surprised at how close it was to the Cobb wreckage. To him, it's another reminder of the rich history in the city.
Massfeller bought the Nathan Cobb Cottage in 2014 for about $135,000. The schooner's name plate hangs above a picture of the ship in the cottage's living room, directly across the original fireplace. The ship's knees are anchored on each side of the cottage's front door.
“It’s a great little place," Massfeller said. "I’m really trying to preserve it.”
Since he bought it, Massfeller has worked hard to do just that, and in doing so, he's found historic items in the backyard — a scythe, a door knob and a miniature doll's iron in his backyard. A large iron rod, the purpose of which is still unknown, from the Cobb rests in a corner of his living room.
“You look around and you see a lot of history," Massfeller said.
