The Chadwick (Wreck) | shipwreck, interesting place

 shipwreck, interesting place, invisible

Captain Kemp had no excuse. He said that he was tired. Of course he was - he had supervised loading the coal, brought his 1463-ton cargo steamer Chadwick down the Clyde from Glasgow, run south to round the Mull of Kintyre, turned north, kept clear of Islay and Tiree, and then headed for the Minch.

And on the night of 2 July, 1892, as the Chadwick approached the north-west of Skye, he was still only on the first leg of his long voyage to deliver his cargo to Russia's St Petersburg. He was not to make the second leg.

The Chadwick had been built by Swan Hunter of Newcastle in 1882. It was 250ft long, with a beam of 35ft and a draught of 18ft. The builder had put 150hp compound steam engines in her, and new owner R B Avery and Co registered her in London.
The wind from the west increased to a full force 5 as the night wore on, and the sea came up with it. Captain Kemp ordered a change of course to the north-east to enter the Minch, but he was far closer in than he thought.

Thick clouds made it so dark that the lookout could not distinguish sky from Skye. The Chadwick ran on to rocks at the foot of the tiny headland of An Ceannaich, at the northern end of Oisgill Bay. She stuck fast, despite running her engines full astern.

At first light a passing mail steamer rescued Captain Kemp and his crew of 18, and a tug was hired to pull the Chadwick off. It was too late. By the time it arrived, the steamer had slipped into 30m of water off the headland. Only the tip of her bow was still showing when she was declared a total wreck.