 Alma under sail, c. 1900 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Builder | Fred Siemer |
| Launched | 1891 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam | 22.6 ft (6.9 m) |
| Depth of hold | 4 ft (1.2 m) |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
Alma (Scow Schooner) | |
_2.JPG) | |
   | |
| Location | 2905 Hyde St. (Hyde St. Pier),San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°48′37.5″N122°25′22″W / 37.810417°N 122.42278°W /37.810417; -122.42278 |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Fred Siemer |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000179 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 10 October 1975[1] |
| Designated NHL | 7 June 1988[2] |
Alma is an 1891-builtscowschooner, which is now preserved as aNational Historic Landmark at theSan Francisco Maritime National Historical Park inSan Francisco,California.
Alma is a flat-bottomed scow schooner built in 1891 by Fred Siemer at his boatyard nearShipwright's Cottage atHunters Point inSan Francisco. Like the many other local scow schooners of that time, she was designed to haul goods on and aroundSan Francisco Bay, but now hauls people. Able to navigate the shallow creeks and sloughs of theSacramento and San Joaquin River Delta, the scows' strong, sturdy hulls could rest safely and securely on the bottom and provided a flat, stable platform for loading and unloading. While principally designed as sailing vessels, scow schooners could also be hauled from the bank or poled in the shallows of the delta.
Until 1918,Alma hauled a variety of cargo under sail, including hay and lumber. Thereafter she was demasted and used as a salt-carrying barge. In 1926 a gasoline engine was installed, andAlma became an dredgingoyster schooner, remaining in this trade until 1957.
While built and operated on San Francisco Bay,Alma is in many ways indistinguishable from scows that were launched and sailed onChesapeake Bay, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, inland rivers, and other coastal waters of the United States. No scow schooners exceptAlma are known to survive afloat in the United States.[3]
In 1959,Alma was purchased by theState of California and restoration commenced in 1964. She was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on 10 October 1975.[1] In 1988, she was designated aNational Historic Landmark.[2][4] She is now one of the exhibits of theSan Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and is to be found moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier.
