The shipwreck Cyrus is located just down from the West Coast Trail's Gordon River trailhead. If you stand at the wonderful, long, sandy beach that spans the width of Port San Juan and look out over the ocean on your right, you will be looking over the patch of ocean where the Cyrus met her end. The Cyrus was a 213 ton, two masted ship, built in 1832.
Alaskan Shipwreck at 4k- Soquel Shipwreck at 5k
- Sarah Shipwreck at 7k
- Becherdass-Ambiadass Shipwreck at 8k
- Michigan Shipwreck at 12k
- Uzbekistan Shipwreck at 13.8k
- Varsity Shipwreck at 17.6k
- Valencia Shipwreck at 18.3k
- Janet Cowan Shipwreck at 19k
- Robert Lewers Shipwreck at 20k
- Woodside Shipwreck at 20.2k
- Uncle John Shipwreck at 26.2k
- Vesta Shipwreck at 29k
- Raita Shipwreck at 33k
- Skagit Shipwreck at 34.2k
- Santa Rita Shipwreck at 37k
- Dare Shipwreck at 39k
- Lizzie Marshall Shipwreck at 47k
- Puritan Shipwreck at 48.5k
- Wempe Brothers Shipwreck at 49.4k
- Duchess of Argyle Shipwreck at 58k
- John Marshall Shipwreck at 62.3k
- William Tell Shipwreck at 64.2
- Revere Shipwreck at 69k
- Cyrus Shipwreck at 75k
The Cyrus was sailing from Steilacoom, Washington with a cargo of lumber heading to San Francisco. She had sailed this route many times, however on December 23rd, 1858 she ran into a storm off Cape Flattery. Her cargo shifted causing her to list and the crew struggled to sail her into Port San Juan to escape the storm. She managed to limp to safety and anchored along the beach in front of present day Port Renfrew. After the storm had let up, the Cyrus set sail, however was unable to catch enough wind to maneuver and she was forced to anchor again. While at anchor, a southerly squall hit her and snapped the anchor chain. Another anchor was dropped, but it was too late as the Cyrus dragged the anchor until she was driven onto the beach near the mouth of Gordon River. The ship slowly came apart during the following days, her rigging, sails and cargo were mostly salvaged.
The Cyrus Appears in "Breakers Ahead!"
"Breakers Ahead!"" by R. Bruce Scott, written in 1970 is a wonderful book about West Coast Trail shipwrecks. It includes Cyrus as well as all the other shipwrecks along the West Coast Trail. In fact, it seems to be the most comprehensive book on shipwrecks along this fascinating stretch of Vancouver Island's west coast. Without R. Bruce Scott's relentless push for the creation of the West Coast Trail, we likely would not have this amazing trail today. He wrote "Breakers Ahead!" in order to document the shipwrecks and illustrate the need for a trail. It is arguably the best book on West Coast Trail shipwrecks available. His intimate knowledge of the West Coast Trail and thorough research has created this intensely interesting book. The chapters in the book on the incredible story of the Janet Cowan shipwreck and the horrific Valencia disaster are amazing. His expert knowledge and factual analysis make the chaotic and confusing events easy to understand. "Breakers Ahead!" almost everywhere online these days and often at a good price as it was widely sold and reprinted several times.
More West Coast Trail Shipwrecks Near the Cyrus
The Revere Shipwreck at 69km
The Cyrus is somewhat alone in this quiet corner of the Graveyard of the Pacific, however down past Thrasher Cove the 3 masted barque, Revere, met her end in 1883. The Revere shipwreck lays at the bottom of Port San Juan between Thrasher Cove and Owen Point. Thrasher Cove is the first or last West Coast Trail campsite you will encounter. The Revere was a large 3 masted barque of 829 tons, built in 1849 in Medford, Massachusetts. She became a victim of the Graveyard of the Pacific on September 9th, 1883. The Revere spent much of her life sailing back and forth from Liverpool in the 1850's. In 1883 she was sailing from Honolulu in ballast for a port in Puget Sound. She was carrying a crew of 13 plus 4 passengers. Nearing Cape Flattery, the Revere found herself in thick fog and calm winds. Unable to see, she was carried by the notorious Juan de Fuca Strait current, across the strait. On the morning of Sunday, September 9th, 1883 the crew heard breaking waves and rushed to drop an anchor. It was too late, however, as the Revere slid around and hit the reef broadside. Breakers pounded her against the rocky coast of Vancouver Island as the crew escaped in lifeboats. The Revere was battered by the waves and broke up in the coming days and weeks. The crew was ferried to Victoria by the local Indians in canoes.
Revere shipwreck continued here...
The William Tell Shipwreck at 64.2km
Further up the West Coast Trail you will pass the William Tell shipwreck. The William Tell was a 1153 ton, 3 masted ship that wrecked in the Graveyard of the Pacific on December 23rd, 1865. She sailed straight into the reef in front of what is now the 64 kilometre mark of the West Coast Trail. Built in New York in 1850, she sailed in the North Atlantic for a few years before branching out to more distant ports. On her final voyage in 1865, she was inbound from South Africa in ballast, heading to a port in the Puget Sound. She managed to sail into Juan de Fuca Strait, however stormy weather and strong currents moved her considerably far west. Blindly sailing in thick fog and the darkness of night, the William Tell smashed into the reef between Owen Point and Camper Bay. The crew of 22 men managed to scramble safely to shore and made their way to Owen Point where they lit signal fires. Their fires were spotted from the harbour of Port San Juan(Port Renfrew). They were picked up and later brought back to Victoria by a local trading schooner.
William Tell shipwreck continued here...
West Coast Trail Shipwrecks
Alaskan at 4k Soquel at 5k Sarah at 7k Becherdass-Ambiadass at 8k Michigan at 12k Uzbekistan at 13.8k Varsity at 17.6k Valencia at 18.3k Janet Cowan at 19k Robert Lewers at 20k Woodside at 20.2k Uncle John at 26.2k Vesta at 29k Raita at 33k Skagit at 34.2k Santa Rita at 37k Dare at 39k Lizzie Marshall at 47k Puritan at 48.5k Wempe Brothers at 49.4k Duchess of Argyle at 58k John Marshall at 62.3k William Tell at 64.2 Revere at 69k Cyrus at 75k
West Coast Trail Campsites Near the Cyrus
Pacheedaht Campsite in Port Renfrew
Many West Coast Trail hikers drive or bus to this trailhead and either start the trail immediately or spend the night in Port Renfrew. There are quite a few cute little hotels, B&B's and AirBnb's to stay, but camping on the beach is another great option. The Pacheedaht Campground is just a short distance to the Gordan River trailhead and as you look down the beach you will be looking over the spot where the Cyrus went ashore. The Pacheedaht Campground is quite nice and the beach is very pretty. Beautiful, soft sand and tangled with driftwood logs. A great place to start your West Coast Trail adventure. Pacheedaht Beach is exactly what you would hope for in a Vancouver Island, west coast beach. It is a two kilometres long, wide, sandy beach with the ever present tangle of driftwood logs scattered along its length. The sand is powdery and soft and the salt smell of the ocean is wonderfully invigorating.
Pacheedaht Campground continued here...
Thrasher Cove Campsite at 70km
The Cyrus is just a stones throw from the Gordon River trailhead to the West Coast Trail and 5 kilometres from the first(or last) West Coast Trail campsite at Thrasher Cove. The trail to Thrasher Cove is quite challenging and slow going as you ascend and descent plenty of ladders and slog your way through a constantly zig-zagging terrain. Thrasher Cove is generally crowded with fellow campers, and you may find yourselves elbow to elbow with a dozen or more tents in an increasingly confined area. The problem, of course is the narrow beach and abrupt cliff at your back. This does, however, give you a wonderful feeling of how the West Coast Trail truly is. Wild rainforest behind you with ladders attached to the steep terrain and a beautiful ocean in front of you.
Thrasher Cove campsite continued here...
West Coast Trail Campsites
Michigan Creek at 12k Darling River at 14k Orange Juice Creek at 15k Tsocowis Creek at 16.5k Klanawa River at 23k Tsusiat Falls at 25k Cribs Creek at 42k Carmanah Creek at 46k Bonilla Creek at 48k Walbran Creek at 53k Cullite Cove at 58k Camper Bay at 62k Thrasher Cove at 70k
