Remnants of the "S.S. Palo Alto." The 435-foot ship was built of concrete by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Co. just after the end of World War I. Originally designed as a tanker, it was part of a wartime effort to reduce the use of steel and iron. The S.S. Palo Alto" was launched in May of 1919, but never saw service; in January of 1930, was intentionally grounded. In 1965, it was sold to the State of California and incorporated into the recreational area known as Seacliff State Beach. The ship is unsafe and is closed to the public, but the pier is open