Odense: Pettico Wick, St Abbs Head, North Sea
Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Odense: Pettico Wick, St Abbs Head, North Sea
Classification Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Odence; Fredericia; Nordvest; 'the Peanut Wreck'; 'the Peanut Boat'; Broadhaven Bay; Frederica; Nordvest; Nord; Firth Of Forth; Odense
Canmore ID 101597
Site Number NT96NW 8002
NGR NT 90364 69169
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/101597
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Maritime - Scottish Borders, The
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
NT96NW 8002 9036 6917
N55 54.9333 W2 9.25
NLO: Pettico Wick [name: NT 907 693]
St Abbs Head [name: NT 911 694].
Prepare to Dive St Abbs. The remains are now completely broken up, her plates and cross bars are covered in sugar kelp. The boiler stands on its own in 12 metres.
Source: Diver Magazine [year unstated].
ODENSE. Two boilers and steel plates can be seen in depths of 5 to 10 metres.
Source: Butland & Siedlecki, BSAC Wreck Register, Scotland 1. 1987.
Evidence = Divers Report
Horizontal Datum = OGB
General water depth = 6
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The vessel was abandoned and then sunk by enemy submarine.
Source: World War I Shipping Loses.
9 December 1974. The Harbourmaster at St Abbs states that ODENSE was attacked and torpedoed by U-boat but missed. It was then shelled by the u-boat until rescued by aircraft. The crew abandoned ship with loss of two lives. The vessel drifted ashore next day at Pettico Wick (various spellings) where repair work was carried out on her. However, on the day before the spring tide when it was hoped to float her off, there was a storm and she was lost on 2 October 1917.
Report by P Baker 3 December 1974.
13 June 1984. An eye witness account of the attack on this vessel and beaching near St Abbs head was given by G S Colven, Harbourmaster, St Abbs.
Surveying Details
-------------------------
24 March 1919. The sinking position was given as 55 56 00N, 002 12 30W.
Report by Senior Naval Officer, Granton.
It was mentioned as being in the general depth of 23 metres, but was never located at 55 60 0N, 002 12 30W in 'Shipwrecks around Great Britain' by Leo Zanelli published 1970.
9 December 1974. Wreckage believed to be from SS ODENSE was located at 55 54 56N, 002 09 15W. Local knowledge suggests that the ship was lost after drifting ashore. The vessel is completely broken up. Two boilers and a lot of plate sections of ships bottom remain, but little else is recognisable in depths of 3-9 metres. No positive identification was made, but the site is known locally as the 'Peanut Wreck'.
Reports by P Baker 28 November and 2 Decemeber 1974.
23 September 1983. We are reliably informed that this wreck is the ODENSE.
Report by W E Baker 25 August 1983.
Hydrographic Office 1995.
(Classified as steamship with cargo of groundnuts: date of loss cited as 5 May 1917). Formerly the Fredericia and the Nordvest, this vessel was attacked by aircraft, stranded and stranded at Pettico Wick.
I G Whittaker 1998.
Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):
A524 nose cone of anti-aircraft shell: from seabed.
NMRS, MS/829/34.
Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):
A1650 2 brass flanges (2kg): from seabed.
(Name cited as Odence).
NMRS, MS/829/35.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 431
Name : ODENSE (EX. FREDERICIA, NORDVEST)
Latitude : 555454
Longitude : 20918
Date Built : 1890
Registration : COPENHAGEN
Type : SS (STEEL)
Tonnage : 1756
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 78
Beam : 11
Draught : 5m
Position : Position Approximate
Loss Day : 5
Loss Month : 5
Loss Year : 1917
Comment : Attacked by A/C, abandoned and stranded at Pettico Wick.
Cargo : GROUND NUTS
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 004218
Feature Class : Wreck
Wreck Category : Non-dangerous wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 55.91556,-2.15417
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 55.91552,-2.15573
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Position Quality : Precisely known
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 6
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : ODENSE
Type : SS
Flag : DANISH
Length : 79.6
Beam : 11.0
Draught : 5.2
Tonnage : 1756
Tonnage Type : Gross
Cargo : PEANUTS IN BULK
Date Sunk : 05/05/1917
Bottom Texture : Rock
Contact Description : Entire wreck
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Last Sensor : Diver Sighting
Original Detection Year : 1917
Last Detection Year : 1974
Original Source : Naval Vessel
Last Source : Divers
Circumstances of Loss : **VESSEL ABANDONED THEN SUNK BY ENEMY SUBMARINE. (WW1SL)
**HARBOUR MASTER AT ST ABB'S STATES THAT ODENSE WAS ATTACKED AND TORPEDOED BY U-BOAT BUT MISSED. SHE WAS THEN SHELLED BY U-BOAT UNTIL RESCUED BY AIRCRAFT. CREW ABANDONED SHIP WITH LOSS OF TWO LIVES. THE VESSEL DRIFTED ASHORE NEXT DAY AT PETTICO WICK [VARIOUS SPELLINGS]. REPAIR WORK WAS CARRIED OUT ON HER BUT ON THE DAY BEFORE THE SPRING TIDE WHEN IT WAS HOPED TO FLOAT HER OFF THERE WAS A STORM AND SHE WAS LOST ON 2.10.17. (MR P. BAKER, 3.12.74)
**EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE ATTACK ON THIS VESSEL AND BEACHING NEAR ST ABB'S HEAD. (G S COLVEN, HARBOUR MASTER, ST ABB'S - IN H1310/84.
Surveying Details : **H2501/19 24.3.19 SINKING POSN 555600N, 021230W. (SNO GRANTON).
**H4087/26 24.6.26 NOW CHARTED AS DW. (AUTHORITY NOT STATED).
**MENTIONED AS IN GEN DEPTH 75 FT, NEVER LOCATED IN 555600N, 021230W. (SHIPWRECKS AROUND GREAT BRITAIN - 1970).
**H1270/74 9.12.74 WRECKAGE BELIEVED TO BE FROM SS ODENSE LOCATED IN 555456N, 020915. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE SUGGESTS SHIP WAS LOST AFTER DRIFTING ASHORE. COMPLETELY BROKEN UP, 2 BOILERS & A LOT OF PLATE SECTIONS OF SHIP'S BOTTOM BUT LITTLE ELSE RECOGNISABLE IN DEPTHS 10-30FT. NO POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION BUT KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'PEANUT WK'. (P BAKER).
**H5249/76 23.9.83 AM RELIABLY INFORMED THAT THIS WK IS THE ODENSE. (W E BAKER, 25.8.83)
POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE
**12.1.99 REMAINS OF ODENSE LIE IN DEPTHS 5-15MTRS IN BROADHAVEN BAY, PETTICOWICK TO N OF ST ABB'S HD. COMPLETELY BROKEN UP, PLATES AND CROSSBARS COVERED IN SUGAR KELP. (DIVER MAGAZINE JAN'99).
**HH090/915/01 16.1.02 NOT LOCATED. (GARDLINE, HI 915). NCA.
**25.2.05 LITTLE REMAINS OF WK, WITH ONLY BOILER AND SOME WELL SCATTERED BITS OF GIRDER AND WINCH AMONGST KELP. (DIVER MAGAZINE FEB'05)
General Comments : COMPLETELY BROKEN UP
Chart Symbol : NDW
Date Last Amended : 12/01/1999
