The Knivestone Wrecks

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More than 60 ships lie in one underwater graveyard in the Farne Islands, all put there by a reef which in olden times they called the Knavestone, probably because of its treacherous nature.
Today that same reef is known as the Knivestone. The Knivestone Rocks, possibly renamed for their cutting edge, are fully visible only at low-water spring tides, when they dry to 3m and become a favourite sprawling spot for a large colony of seals.
Much of the wreckage on the western side of the reef comes from the largest ship to be wrecked in the Farnes, the 5753 ton steamship Abessinia, which ran on to the reef while on her way from Chile to Germany on 3 September, 1921. The 451ft German steamer, with a beam of 51ft, is much broken. The really big ironwork is probably the Abessinia's, near a huge boiler, but some of the wreckage is mixed with that of other steamships.
To the north between the reef and Whirl Rocks is a large collection of wreckage of the next biggest steamer, which local divers say comes from the Jan Van Ryswyck. She was a Belgian steamer of 2135 tons, 287ft long with a 44ft beam, and hit the reef in thick fog while carrying iron, steel and a general cargo from Antwerp to Grangemouth on 21 May, 1924.
But her wreckage is jumbled with that of many another ship. Forget all the sailing ships, the sloops, brigs, schooners and luggers lost here, and concentrate on the steamships. Their ironwork may well be mixed in with the remains of the Jan Van Ryswyck.
The 484 ton Norwegian steamer Gier hit the reef in 1908, and broke in two. Some salvage was carried out before a storm smashed her into deep water. The 2000 ton Emma of Gelfe hit the north of the Knivestone in 1914 and sank. The 1336 ton Norwegian Gustav Viceland followed her down in 1916.
The Port Leven, a Scottish steamer from Aberdeen, struck and sank in 1917; the GR Gray, a tug on Naval service, sank the following year; and the Horley, a steamer from Dundee, hit the reef and sank in 1922.
identifying a piece of wreckage as from a particular ship is no easy task. Even iron propeller blades among the wreckage may have come from a ship which was later floated off.
Tides: The Knivestone is covered at high water, so is best dived at low-water slack, which is 1 hour 30 minutes after low water Seahouses. The north side of the reef also gains some shelter on the ebb tide, but diving requires experience and discipline to stay in the sheltered area.
how to find it: Chart co-ordinates of the Knivestone are 54.39.00N 001.36.00W. The natural lay of the rocks is from north-east to south-west. Aim to enter the water as close to the rocks as possible on the north side, then swim out and up and down the gullies.