S. S. Atlantus Sunken Concrete Ship in Cape May

The remains of an experimental concrete ship lay right off the coastline at Sunset Beach in Cape May. One of 12 ships built during World War 1. Proven impractical after several Trans-Atlantic trips because of weight.

In 1926, the Atlantus was purchased by Colonel Jesse Rosenfeld to be used as ferry dock in Cape May, New Jersey for a proposed ferry between Cape May and Cape Henlopen, Delaware. On June 8th, a storm hit and the ship broke free of her moorings and ran aground 150 feet off the coast of Sunset Beach. Several attempts were made to free the ship but none were successful.

All of the information provided above is from the historical marker located on the beach in front of the sunken concrete ship. As you can see, it doesn’t sit very far from the sandy shore! It’s now a tourist attract in Cape May and is FREE to see.

Visitors love to sit on the beach and enjoy the sunshine. You will often see the Cape May Ferry going by or Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruises. Really cool to see. Sunset Beach can get crowded during the summer tourist season, so I recommend going down in May, September and October…still beautifull times to visit the south Jersey Shore.