Alkimos Wreck - WA

Visible from the shore, the wreck of the merchant ship Alkimos lies in waters just 30m from the shore at the popular Shorehaven Beach. Shorehaven Beach includes a children's playground, manicured grounds, lots of picnic facilities and shady trees plus a big Cafe precinct and carparking.The Alkimos was built in 1943 in Maryland, USA. It was part of the US Military's 'Liberty Ship' programme during the second world war, but the ship was then sold to the Norwegian Merchant fleet under Captain Torbjørn Thorsen who named the ship the 'Viggo Hansteen'.The ship's crew were mostly Norwegian and Canadian, the ship travelled to and fro the Mediterranean sea and India via the Suez canal, transporting ammunition and other materials needed to make weapons. Towards the end of the war the ship was used to transport US Soldiers and German prisoners of war. When the war ended the ship was sold again, the ship ran aground on New Zealand in 1952 and prompted the owner to sell the ship to a Greek Shipping company who renamed the ship 'The Alkimos' (Greek for 'Strong).In 1963 the ship hit a reef of the coast of Western Australia and was towed to Fremantle for repairs. After she was repaired she was to be towed to Hong Kong for new part's but a storm took place and the Alkimos broke free and became stuck in shallow waters again. It