Naufrágio Araponga

The Araponga was built in 1917 in the Netherlands by the Boele's shipyard under the name Tyro and, after passing through other owners, reached Henrique Lage's company in 1939, when it was renamed Araponga. It was a single-screw steam cargo ship, 54.90 m long with an 8.63 m beam and 736 gross tons, driven by a triple-expansion engine of 600 metric horsepower (c.v.). The ship went down at around 8:40, and its 32 crew members left in two whaleboats and were picked up by the Vênus, which took them to Santos. Seven sailors were admitted to hospital in Santos with minor injuries. The Maritime Court ruled the collision culpable and fined the first officer Samuel André Senos, officer of the watch on the Araponga, one thousand cruzeiros; in 1948 the appeal was rejected by majority and the conviction was upheld.

The wreck was located on 4 March 2018 by a group of divers, guided by fishermen from the Itanhaém area, who called the spot "Chatão". When passing over the spot, the boat's sounder picked up a sudden rise in the bottom. The identification came from a fork and a spoon inscribed "CNN Costeira", found beside the wreckage, and from a bronze cross, the emblem of the Companhia Nacional de Navegação Costeira, buried in the sand near the boilers.

The triple-expansion steam engine still stands near the stern, with its cylinders well preserved, and the propeller arch can still be seen with one blade exposed. On the port side there are crates of wine bottles. Fishing nets caught on several parts of the ship call for extra attention.