Shipwreck at Cape Henlopen Pictures

The exposed shipwreck bottom at Cape got a little beaten up

There is an old shipwreck buried in the beach of the Harbor of Safe Refuge in Cape Henlopen State Park. Just below the point comfort station walk over access. It was exposed a few years ago during a storm. Parks roped off the area for people’s protection. Those iron spikes are a tetanus shot waiting to happen.

This is in a federally closed area of the point for piping plovers and other protected shorebirds at the moment. Parks had a sign installed telling people about the wreck, but no one knows the name or much of the history. It is a 19th century vessel based on the construction materials age. The nor’easter took the sign, if anyone finds it I am sure parks would like it back.

The front center piece of wood (green) is the keel. This was a large ship, probably cargo. Too bad you can’t dig under, it I am sure there are some cool things underneath there. Be a cool project for the University and parks could have a neat little museum in Cape Henlopen.

Maybe this is the rumored, legendary Spanish Galleon that is buried in the dunes of Cape Henlopen State Park. It is said a large galleon crossed the beaches during a storm and was never seen again. The lighthouse keeper at the time was “of the bottle” that night when he thought he \saw a Spanish Galleon cross the beach in the storm surge into the dune system.. The next day nothing was out there, or so goes the story. Due to the material age not possible with this wreck but one can dream.