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George C. Scott’s brush with death in Morro Bay aboard the M.V. Mojo

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Scott Redd

One of the most iconic images associated with Morro Bay, California is a photo of Hollywood star, George C. Scott’s chartered yacht, the 84’ long M.V. Mojo, being smashed by a monster wave as it attempted to leave the harbor during a turbulent winter storm, January 28, 1978.

Ignoring harbor patrol and U.S. Coast Guard’s warnings not to attempt leaving Morro Bay, Scott commanded his skipper to head on out. The result was a brush with death at the legendary Morro Bay Harbor mouth.

M.V. Mojo berthed in Newport Beach today where it serves as a luxury yacht operated by Hornblower Cruises
Credit Tom Wilmer

Today, the luxury yacht M.V. Mojo operates out of Newport Beach, California as a luxury charter yacht, and it’s played a supporting role in numerous television shows and movies.

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Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.