Famed Calif. 'cement ship' flipped, broken up by strong waves

APTOS, Calif. — It's the end of an era for Aptos.

Last winter, El Niño storm waves split the S.S. Palo Alto ship. And on Saturday, the stern connected to the long pier at Seacliff State Beach was tossed onto its side by even bigger, more powerful, winter waves.

This weekend's waves not only broke the ship, but they were also records in the Monterey Bay. The National Weather Service said a new wave record was set as the Monterey Bay buoy recorded 34-foot waves. This smashed the previous wave size record, set in 2008 by 32.8-foot waves.

The S.S. Palo Alto, otherwise known as the 'Concrete Ship,' was tossed and broken up by high waves in the Monterey Bay on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. The S.S. Palo Alto, otherwise known as the 'Concrete Ship,' was tossed and broken up by high waves in the Monterey Bay on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. Photo: Courtesy Sam Courtney Photo: Courtesy Sam Courtney Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Famed Calif. 'cement ship' flipped, broken up by strong waves 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

Under the forces of Mother Nature, the S.S. Palo Alto has slowly crumbled into the sea for decades. But locals were still stunned by how dramatically the ship shifted during this swell.

The heavy local landmark, while made out of concrete, is nicknamed the "Cement Ship."

The S.S. Palo Alto is the most famous concrete ship on the West Coast, according to concreteships.org.

"The Palo Alto was built as an oil tanker by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company in Oakland, California and launched May 29, 1919. The Palo Alto remained docked in San Francisco Bay for over 10 years until she was purchased by the Seacliff Amusement Company of Nevada and towed to Seacliff State Beach in Aptos. The ship was grounded in the bay and connected to the shore by a long pier. An arcade, dining room, dance hall and even a swimming pool were built on the ship. Unfortunately, the Seacliff Amusement Company went out of business two years later under the financial crunch of the Great Depression. Then, in winter, a storm cracked the ship across her midsection. The Palo Alto was stripped and turned into a fishing pier," concreteships.org wrote.

This story originally appeared on KSBW.com.