Panning San Pedro: SS Lane Victory

Panning San Pedro: SS Lane Victory (and Miner Street)

“Panning San Pedro” is MySanPedro’s series of panoramic images celebrating the sights of San Pedro. Click on any image to view a larger version.

SS Lane Victory at Berth 94

SS Lane Victory and the Disney Wonder

Looking southward down the Main Channel from Berth 94

The SS Lane Victory (home page) has moved from Berth 94 under the bridge (between the World Cruise Center and the Catalina Express terminal) on the Main Channel to Berth 46 in the Outer Harbor at the south end of Miner Fill (between the East and West Channels), just south of the new Cabrillo Way Marina. The grand reopening at the new temporary location is on Saturday, February 18, 2012.  After 9 months she will move to Berth 50 on the East Channel—though her permanent new berthing is still undetermined (PoLA, 02/03/2012; Littlejohn, 02/06/2012).

Miner Street looking northwest toward San Pedro Hill

 Miner Street looking southwest toward the SS Lane Victory

Miner Street looking southeast across the East Channel to Warehouse One

The conversion of Miner Street (Harbor Blvd. changes to Miner Street at 22^nd Street) from a narrow potholed 2-lane service road to a 4-6 lane scenic boulevard with a wide greenbelt meridian lined with palm trees is completed. On the west side a public walkway lines the new Cabrillo Way Marina in Watchorn Basin from 22^nd Street all the way down the West Channel to the new boat launch and Fire Station 110 (housing Fire Boat 5) and connects to the sidewalk leading to the Berth 46 parking lot and back to Miner Street.  The new sidewalk on the east side of Miner Street now has an open view of the East Channel, Angel’s Gate and the Outer Harbor.

New southern section of Cabrillo Way Marina, looking across the West Channel

East Channel, looking north

Opening of the East Channel with view of City Dock 1 and Warehouse One on the Huntington Fill

Opening of the East Channel looking eastward from the Miner Fill

Opening of the East Channel looking southward

Veer to the right at the south end of Miner Street to go to Berth 46 and the SS Lane Victory. The run-down un-redeveloped area where it is docked will eventually be the home of a new deep water terminal for the latest giant cruise ships. To the right of the parking lot is the old San Pedro Boat Works at Berth 44 which was founded in 1932 as the H-10 Water Taxi Company to construct small maneuverable launches designed to avoid police boats during prohibition and ferry passengers to the gambling ships anchored offshore and became renowned in the 1960s for servicing racing boats (HBER).

Access road and entrance to Berth 46

The Berth 46 parking lot entrance

SS Lane Victory at Berth 46

The SS Lane Victory is owned and operated by the United States Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II (USMMVWWII) as a maritime museum and memorial honoring the achievements and sacrifices of the Merchant Marine sailors and Navy Armed Guardsmen—while also starring in numerous movies, television shows, and commercials and serving as a training ship for the Navy Sea Cadets, US Coast Guard, and other military and law enforcement agencies.  

SS Lane Victory and the John M. Olguin

Looking eastward from the Cabrillo Beach Boat Ramp

Berth 46 is the same place where the USS Abraham Lincoln was docked for Navy Week in July 2011. The following panoramas will give you an idea of their relative scale.

SS Lane Victory from inner Cabrillo Beach

USS Abraham Lincoln from inner Cabrillo Beach

SS Lane Victory from the Cabrillo Beach breakwater (halfway to the fishing pier)

USS Abraham Lincoln from about the same location

The SS Lane Victory was built in the San Pedro shipyard of the California Shipbuilding Corporation (Cal-Ship) on Terminal Island. She was launched on 05/31/1945, delivered military cargo in 3 wars (WWII, Korea and Vietnam), and was the last operational Victory ship when she was sent to the Suisan Bay reserve fleet on 04/29/1970. Nineteen years later (on 06/07/1989) the ship was officially transferred to the USMMVWWII and towed back home to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. Today, she is the only “Victory Ship” which is still fully operational and licensed for deep sea voyaging (Cox, 2008). When moved to Berth 50 on the east side of Miner Fill, the SS Lane Victory will have a spectacular view of the sunrise over the original home anchorage of the Pacific Battle Fleet and of ships entering and leaving the harbor.

Outer Harbor at dawn as seen from the east side of Miner Fill

Sunrise over Angel’s Gate looking east from Berth 50