During Prohibition, smugglers anchored ships about twelve miles offshore, beyond U.S. jurisdiction, then used small boats to land cargo on remote beaches. Helpers signaled with flashlights, cases were dragged across the sand, and some local lawmen were paid to look away. The Coast Guard’s own history says Half Moon Bay was excellent for clandestine operations.
In 1924 the British steamer Ardenza lay off the bay for seven months with 25,000 cases of Scotch, and contact boats carried 18,000 of them to San Francisco. Francis Beach was a favorite landing spot, and roadhouses served what came ashore.
Prohibition ended on December 5, 1933.
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