Pennsylvania: Swona, Pentland Firth
Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Pennsylvania: Swona, Pentland Firth
Classification Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) 'West Side Of Swona'; Swona Island; North Sea; Pennsylvania
Canmore ID 102238
Site Number ND38SE 8002
NGR ND 38315 84902
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102238
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND38SE 8002 3868 8490
N58 44.8667 W3 3.5833
NLO: Swona [name: ND 390 843]
Pentland Firth [name centred ND 35 81].
Horizontal Datum = OGB
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The steam ship PENSYLVANNIA struck a rock and sank, whilst on passage from New York to Copenhagen.
Source: Lloyds List, 21 August 1931.
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
26 August 1931. A position of 58 44 30N, 003 04 00W was given.
Source: Lloyds List, 21 August 1931.
25 February 1972. The wreck is reported at 58 44 52N, 003 03 35W on the west side of Swona Island, just below and to the west of a rock pinnacle which is awash at low water. From the pinnacle to the wreck is a drop of 12 metres. The seabed then slopes steeply to 27.4 metres. The stern, prop shaft, engines and keel lie at base of pinnacle and are parts scattered down the slope westward. There is little of the wreck left and the greater part is covered with thick sea whip. The wreck is owned by syndicate of Farmers and Fishermen of Wick.
Report by Undermarine Operations Ltd, 1971.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
Artifacts from this loss are held on the island.
K Allardyce and E M Hood 1986.
(Classified as steel steamship: no cargo specified, but date of loss cited as 27 July 1931). Pennsylvania: this vessel stranded on the W side of Swona.
Registration: Copenhagen. Built 1907. 3759 grt. Length: 108m. Beam: 15m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 44.87 W3 3.58).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 2505
Name : PENNSYLVANIA
Latitude : 584452
Longitude : 30335
Date Built : 1907
Registration : COPENHAGEN
Type : SS (STEEL)
Tonnage : 3759
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 108
Beam : 15
Draught : 8m
Position : Exact Position
Loss Day : 27
Loss Month : 7
Loss Year : 1931
Comment : Stranded W side of Swona
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 000956
Feature Class : Wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.74775,-3.06600
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.74734,-3.06759
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Previous Position : 58.74778,-3.05972
Position Quality : Unreliable
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 2
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : PENNSYLVANIA
Type : SS
Flag : BRITISH
Length : 108.0
Beam : 14.9
Draught : 7.9
Tonnage : 3759
Tonnage Type : Gross
Cargo : GENERAL INC COPPER
Date Sunk : 27/07/1931
Contact Description : Notable debris
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Last Sensor : Diver Sighting
Original Detection Year : 1931
Last Detection Year : 1972
Original Source : Other
Last Source : Other
Circumstances of Loss : **BULT IN 1907 BY W DOBSON & CO, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY DET FORENEDE DAMPS, SELSK. THREE BOILERS, TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE OF 361NHP, SINGLE SHAFT. MACHINERY BY NE MARINE ENGINE CO LTD, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYEN. PASSAGE NEW YORK FOR COPENHAGEN. STRUCK ROCKS AND SANK IN FOG. LATER BROKE UP AND BECAME A CTL. (SIBI).
Surveying Details : **H5986/31 26.8.31 POSN 584430N, 030400W. (LL, 21.8.31).
**25.2.72 REPORTED IN 584452N, 030335W ON W SIDE OF SWONA ISLAND, JUST BELOW & TO THE W OF A ROCK PINNACLE WHICH IS AWASH AT LW. FROM PINNACLE TO WK A DROP OF 40FT. THE SEABED THEN SLOPES STEEPLY TO 90FT. STERN, PROP SHAFT, ENGINES & KEEL LIE AT BASE OF PINNACLE & PARTS SCATTERED DOWN THE SLOPE WESTWARD. LITTLE OF WK LEFT & GREATER PART COVERED WITH THICK SEA WHIP. OWNED BY SYNDICATE OF FARMERS & FISHERMEN OF WICK. (UNDERMARINE OPERATIONS LTD, 1971). NCA.
General Comments : ONLY FRAGMENTS REMAIN
Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY
Date Last Amended : 31/01/2005
Date Position Last Amended : 31/01/2005
