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Unknown: Ore Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Unidentified Object (20th Century), Steam Pinnace (20th Century)
Site Name Unknown: Ore Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Classification Unidentified Object (20th Century), Steam Pinnace (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Lyness; Hoy
Canmore ID 102327
Site Number ND39SW 8010
NGR ND 31835 94049
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102327
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND39SW 8010 3184 9404
N58 49.7333 W3 10.8333
NLO: Lyness [name centred ND 307 948]
Ore Bay [name centred ND 312 942]
Stromness [name: HY 253 090]
Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].
Formerly entered as Service Craft; Tender/ Steam Pinnace.
Classified as 'steam pinnacle' [sic].
G Ridley 1992.
Horizontal Datum = OGB
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
18 July 1982. J S Besant, 75 Bungalow, Lyness, Orkney Isles, wishes to purchase a 48-52ft steam pinnace. He has dived the wreck, but there is fairly heavy marine growth. Deterioration of the remains precluded identification, except for the Government arrow on the bell.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Location cited as N58 49.73 W3 10.6). Unknown: unspecified foul. [No authority cited].
I G Whittaker 1998.
Although formerly classified as a Tender, the function and purpose of this vessel remain unclear.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 7 February 2007.
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 001119
Feature Class : Wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.82889,-3.18056
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.82847,-3.18213
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Position Quality : Unreliable
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 14
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : UNKNOWN
Type : STEAM PINNACLE
Contact Description : Entire wreck
Original Sensor : Diver Sighting
Original Detection Year : 1982
Original Source : Divers
Surveying Details : **18.7.82 48-52FT STEAM PINNACLE DIVED IN 584944N, 031050W. FAIRLY HEAVY MARINE GROWTH & DETERIORATION PRECLUDED IDENTIFICATION, EXCEPT FOR GOVERNMENT ARROW ON BELL. WISHES TO PURCHASE. (J S BESANT, LYNESS, LTR DTD 18.7.82).
Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY
Date Last Amended : 31/01/2005
Reference (March 2012)
Sitename : Unknown: Ore Bay, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Note : From MBES geophysical data - at NGR 331835 994049N, a low mound off Ore Bay c. 0.5 metres high that could be associated with anchorages or the salvaging of the German High Seas Fleet off Lyness. It is part of an area of similar sized mounds, c.59 by 37 metres in size, covering 1.2 kilometres between Hoy and Fara extending from offshore of Mill Bay to Ore Bay. High potential.
Source :
Aspect Survey,Lyness SeaZone TruDepth Points SeaZone in OSGB36 SeaZone Dataset 109871,SeaZone,2011
Project (2013 - 2014)
The Scapa Flow 2013 Marine Archaeology Survey Project, commissioned by Historic Scotland, undertook remote sensing surveys and archaeological diving evaluations at some of the sites within Scapa Flow, Orkney and at the Churchill Barriers.
The project aimed to establish or confirm the identification, extent of survival, character and condition of around 28 known but mostly poorly recorded First and Second World War wreck sites, 8 salvage sites, several sites thought to be associated with Second World War Boom Defences, and a limited sample of geophysical features identified in previous studies (Project Adair).
The work built on that of previous surveys including those completed as part of the ScapaMap Project (2001 and 2006) and by Wessex Archaeology Scapa Flow Wrecks Survey (2012), amongst others.
The project was completed by ORCA Marine and SULA Diving
Diver Inspection (2013)
58 49.71 N 3 10.94 W The remains of a broken up vessel lie on a sand and mud bottom in 14m of water in an area of slight tide. The wooden wreck lies on its port side and has a limited coverage of short animal turf.
There are numerous sections of wooden hull, rib remains, ceiling planking, frames and exterior planking of varying size within the confines of the main wreckage and scattered on the surrounding seabed. Some of the frames contain copper pins, and show evidence of double skin hull sheets – with diagonal inner sheets and fore and aft outer sheets.
The stern section is the most intact with the propeller shaft still in situ. Moving forward, the steel oil engine and steel boiler were identified during the surveys, both are lying to port. There are several pipes and three steam valves aft of the boiler, and the remains of a water tank forward of the engine. Towards the bow there is a crane hook hole that would have been used to lift the vessel from a larger ship into the water
There is evidence of entangled lines within the remains.
Analysis
The site was dived by J Besant of Lyness in 1982, and bell was recovered with an Admiralty arrow, identifying the remains as a British steam Pinnace. It is unclear as to which ship the Pinnace was associated with. Although there is some debris surrounding the main area of wreckage the site is quite contained and likely falls within the confines of vessel dimensions.
As the remains are well broken up and as no artefacts identifying the remains were recovered it is not possible to provide further details regarding the provenance or date.
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
Side Scan Sonar Survey (2013)
58 49.71 N 3 10.94 W and 58 49.73 N 3 10.83 W This site was assessed by side scan sonar surveys using a winch-towed towfish.
The side scan images show a 12m long contact standing approximately 2m proudof the seabed. The remains are oriented south southwest to north northeast with the bow to the northeast.
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
