Dartmoor

The steel steamship Dartmoor was launched from the yard of John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard no 282) on 13th Jul7 1892.  She measured 306.0′ x 41.7′ x 21.2′ and her tonnage was 2870 gross tons, 1846 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Readhead delivering 250 nominal horse power.  Built for the South Shields Steam Shipping Co Ltd she was sold to the Moor Line Ltd in 1898 before she was purchased by her final owners, J and P Hutchison, Glasgow in 1905.  Dartmoor stranded in fog on Torrylin beach on the south end of Arran on 1st December 1907 while on a voyage from Maryport to Glasgow in ballast.  Initial hopes of refloating the cargo ship were good as the hull was not breached and she was perfectly placed on a sandbank ready to be towed offshore.

A salvage team was immediately sent to Arran led by the Glasgow Salvage Association.  Steel & Bennie’s tug Cruiser arrived on site on the 2nd December and commenced preparations to tow the Dartmoor off the beach on the next high tide. Unfortunately a gale set in later that day which not only drove the Dartmoor further ashore and broadside to the beach but also caused the Cruiser to strand on an outlying reef called Cleiteadh Buidhe. A second Steel & Bennie tug, the Victor, was sent to Arran but it also went ashore and damaged its keel and some plating. The Victor was refloated and departed for Elderslie Dock and repair. Another steamer, Ross & Marshall’s Rushlight, arrived on scene but only succeeded in striking another reef and had to be beached for inspection next to the Dartmoor. 

The Dartmoor now lay above the mean high water mark with no prospect of immediate salvage so the Underwriter’s established a ‘no cure no pay’ salvage contract with the East Coast Salvage Company of Leith later in the month. It would appear that preparatory works were interrupted by frequent gales and wintry weather while the best method of refloating the Dartmoor was established. The final method chosen was to cut the vessel out, which proved to be heavy work moving large boulders, slabs of rock and tons of shingle.

The bow of the Dartmoor was slowly winched to seaward in a sequence of moves until it was pointing into the prevailing sea. This manoeuvre then required the stern to be encased in a coffer-dam from stern to midships on both sides of the hull and, as the beach was dug out, the vessel was supported on oak blocks. Once complete the dam measured 150′ x 60′ x10′ and a large steam pump was used to keep the excavations clear of water. A further complication was a reef of rock under the stern which had to be blasted and removed before the Dartmoor could be towed off on a spring tide.

The Dartmoor was finally towed off by the salvage steamer Wrecker on 16th May 1908 and taken to the graving dock in Govan for inspection and repair. The Dartmoor went back into service for her Glasgow owners until 17th May 1917 when she was torpedoed and sunk by UC50, 35 miles SE of Fastnet Rock. As to the other vessels in this ‘calamitous’ tale, they were all successfully refloated, repaired and returned to service.