Archaeology Notes

Event ID 759925

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/759925

ND38SE 8006 c. 379 835

N58 44.1 W3 4.4

NLO: The Tails of the Tarf [name: ND 379 835]

Swona [name: ND 390 843]

Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81].

Location formerly cited as ND 3810 8392 [N58 44.3333 W3 4.1667].

Presumably motor vessel JOHANNA THORDEN, of Helsingfors, bound from New York to Helsingfors. Lost 12 Jan 1937. South west of Swona Island, 3 miles approx. from Stroma Lighthouse. Weather strong breeze to moderate gale, atmosphere hazy, but not fog. Presumed 25 lives lost and 8 saved.

[Contemporary] source: John R. Scott for Principal Lightkeeper, Stroma Lighthouse.

JOHNANNA THORNDEN, Finnish motor vessel, 3000 ton, built 1936. On 11 Jan 1937 this vessel stranded on a reef east of the Pentland Skerries and became a total wreck. On instructions from Head office, Liverpool, Mr Thomas proceeded to the Island of Swona for the purpose of ascertaining whether any remains of the vessel were visible and whether he considered the salvage of heavy copper in the holds was possible. Mr Thomas found salvage hopeless.

Source: Glasgow University Business Archives, UGD95/1/4 Glasgow Salvage Association, minutes 6 May 1937.

Quality of fix = PA

Horizontal Datum = OGB

Circumstances of Loss Details

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22 April 1970. The motor vessel JOHANNA THORDEN went aground at Tarf of Swona. The forepart was carried 4 miles by the gale and was driven ashore. The vessel was on voyage from Baltimore and New York to Gothenburg.

Source: Dictionary of Disasters at Sea.

Surveying Details

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3 April 1937. The wreck's position is given as 58 44 20N, 003 04 10W.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as steel motor ship, with cargo of cars and general goods: date of loss cited as 12 January 1937). Johanna Thorden: this vessel stranded on the SE [SW] end of Swona, at Winnie Skerries [The Tails of the Tarf].

Registration: Brando. Built 1936. 3223grt. Length: 109m. Beam: 15m.

(Location of loss cited as N58 44.33 W3 4.17).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Winnie Skerries (the location of loss cited by Whittaker) are equated with The Tails of the Tarf, at the SW end of Swona. The island of Swona lies roughly NE-SW, and has no SE end as such.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 18 April 2007.