ALMA (Scow Schooner)
historic place
The ALMA is a historic scow schooner located in San Francisco, California. She was built in 1891 by Fred Siemer at Hunters Point. This vessel represents a vital era of Bay Area commerce. Scow schooners like the ALMA served as the delivery trucks of their time. Her flat-bottomed hull was specifically designed to navigate the shallow waters of San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This design allowed her to rest safely on the bottom at low tide for efficient loading and unloading of cargo. Initially, the ALMA hauled various goods, including hay and lumber, under sail until 1918. Later, her masts were removed, and she operated as a towed barge carrying salt. In 1926, a gasoline engine was installed, and she continued her working life as an oyster shell dredger until 1957. The ALMA holds significant historical importance as the last surviving scow schooner of her kind in the United States. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988. Today, the ALMA is preserved at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, serving as a tangible link to the region's maritime past.