The ship Desdémona, built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1952. In 1985, it departed from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego with 20 crew members and 20 thousand bags of cement. During the journey, the engine suffered a breakdown, and its speed was greatly reduced. In Ushuaia, they were unable to repair it.
Despite the difficulties, the Desdémona set sail again towards the northern part of the island, hoping to dock in Río Grande. However, its engines, reduced to minimal power, couldn't compete with the fury of the Patagonian winds, forcing them to abandon the maneuver.
For this reason, they headed south again in search of shelter from the wind and waves but ran aground shortly after passing Cape San Pablo. The captain attempted a maneuver to free the ship, but the stern struck a submerged reef not marked on the navigation charts, causing a significant breach, and water began to flood the holds. Consequently, he decided to intentionally beach the ship on the shore to prevent it from sinking and to save the crew. It was September 9, 1985.
Other, less romantic, versions suggested an intentional maneuver aimed at insurance fraud, as the stranded ship later caught fire. There were later attempts by the Navy to remove the vessel from its location, but the projects did not succeed, and the Desdémona remained abandoned in place, battered by the Patagonian winds.
