The SS Cotopaxi was an Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) Design 1060 bulk carrier constructed during World War I for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). Launched on November 15, 1918, the vessel was built at the Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) River Rouge Yard in Ecorse, Michigan, with hull number 209. It measured approximately 253.4 feet in length, with a beam of 43.7 feet and a depth of 25.1 feet. The ship had a gross tonnage of 2,351 GRT and a deadweight of about 4,200 DWT, powered by a triple-expansion steam engine producing 1,350 indicated horsepower, fueled by two coal-fired Scotch Marine boilers. Its design was distinct, featuring a deckhouse and engines positioned aft, a configuration often called a "Stemwinder," with four cargo hatches forward supported by two masts. The Cotopaxi arrived in Boston on December 22, 1918, and was assigned to operate routes from U.S. ports to South America. During her service, she experienced a significant grounding in the Braganca Channel, Pará, Brazil, in June 1919, which caused extensive damage and required nearly $200,000 in repairs. After her repair, she was sold to the Clinchfield Navigation Company in December 1919 for $375,000, with a payment plan secured by a mortgage. Throughout her operational life, Cotopaxi was involved in incidents, including a collision with the tug Saturno in Havana Harbor in 1920, which resulted in the tug sinking but caused no serious damage to the ship. Her service ended tragically when she departed Charleston, South Carolina, for Havana in November 1925 with a cargo of coal and a crew of 32. In December 1925, during a tropical storm, she began listing and taking on water and was officially listed as overdue on December 31. The vessel sank with all hands, and her wreck lies approximately 35 nautical miles off St. Augustine, Florida. Discovered in the 1980s but only identified in January 2020 after extensive investigation, the Cotopaxi’s remains are now recognized as part of the maritime history of early 20th-century American bulk carriers. Her story highlights the hazards faced by cargo ships of her era and her place within the broader context of wartime and interwar maritime activity.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.