In June 1905, the Robert Sudden ran aground between Surf and the mouth of the Santa Ynez River near the Southern Pacific Surf depot. She was a three-masted barkentine ship, with 800,000 feet of lumber on board.

The fog was so thick that Captain J. Jansen did not know where he was, but knew it was treacherous territory. So he lowered a small boat with his wife and two children in it, manned by the First Mate who was instructed to put out to sea to escape the dangerous rocks.

In the light of day, the Captain sent the Second Mate out to find them but instead of finding them he was carried about four miles from Surf and eventually rescued.

After finally finding his family, the Captain next made a raft from the lumber cargo and lashed his wife and children to it. They made it to shore throug

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