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Wanja: Whitemill Bay, Sanday, Orkney, North Sea
Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Wanja: Whitemill Bay, Sanday, Orkney, North Sea
Classification Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Esther Elina; Aldebaran; Burness; Otterswick; Otter's Wick; Ebb Of The Riv; Wanja; Wanja (Ex. Esther Elina, Aldebaran)
Canmore ID 115959
Site Number HY74NW 8003
NGR HY 70089 46985
NGR Description HY c. 694 467
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/115959
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
HY64NE 8002 c. 694 467
N59 18.4 W2 32.2
NLO: Whitemill Bay [name centred HY 694 467]
Sanday Sound [name centred HY 67 34]
Sanday [name centred HY 67 40].
Location formerly entered as HY 6950 4640 [N59 18.2028 W2 32.139].
See also ND49NE 8049.
Steamship WANJA, 4000 ton, of Sweden, master Anderson. Bound from Florida to Sweden. Lost 14 Oct 1939. Whitemill Bay, Otterswick, Sanday, Orkney, 8 miles from Start Point Lighthouse. Crew did not see lighthouse. Crew 26, all saved. Cargo phosphate rock.
[Contemporary] source: Start Point Lighthouse.
(Classified as steel steamship, with cargo of phosphate: former names cited as Esther Elina and Aldebaran, and date of loss as 15 October 1939). Wanja: this vessel was wrecked at Burness, Sanday.
Registration: Helsingborg. Built 1919. 2618grt. Length: 91m. Beam: 14m.
(Location of loss cited as N59 18.00 W2 35.00).
(Whittaker also suggests that this vessel may have been recovered for use as a Scapa Flow blockship under the name Nana, for which see HY40NE 8001 and ND49NE 8049).
I G Whittaker 1998.
The location of loss assigned to this record is essentially tentative.
The location of loss is cited by Whittaker as Burness, Sanday [name centred HY 670 466] and by Ridley as Ebb of the Riv [name: HY 680 470]. Both these attributions appear incorrect.
The date of loss cited by Whittaker differs from that cited in the primary (NLB) account of the loss. The latter is preferred.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 20 November 2002.
Loss (14 October 1939)
Steamship WANJA, 4000 ton, of Sweden, master Anderson. Bound from Florida to Sweden. Lost 14 Oct 1939. Whitemill Bay, Otterswick, Sanday, Orkney, 8 miles from Start Point Lighthouse. Crew did not see lighthouse. Crew 26, all saved. Cargo phosphate rock.
[Contemporary] source: Start Point Lighthouse.
(Classified as steel steamship, with cargo of phosphate: former names cited as Esther Elina and Aldebaran, and date of loss as 15 October 1939). Wanja: this vessel was wrecked at Burness, Sanday.
Registration: Helsingborg. Built 1919. 2618grt. Length: 91m. Beam: 14m.
(Location of loss cited as N59 18.00 W2 35.00).
(Whittaker also suggests that this vessel may have been recovered for use as a Scapa Flow blockship under the name Nana, for which see HY40NE 8001 and ND49NE 8049).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Named Location (Nlo) (27 March 1997)
NLO: Whitemill Bay [name centred HY 694 467]
Sanday Sound [name centred HY 67 34]
Sanday [name centred HY 67 40].
Location formerly entered as HY 6950 4640 [N59 18.2028 W2 32.139].
See also HY40NE 8001 and ND49NE 8049.
Note (20 November 2002)
The location of loss assigned to this record is essentially tentative.
The location of loss is cited by Whittaker as Burness, Sanday [name centred HY 670 466] and by Ridley as Ebb of the Riv [name: HY 680 470]. Both these attributions appear incorrect.
The date of loss cited by Whittaker differs from that cited in the primary (NLB) account of the loss. The latter is preferred.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 20 November 2002.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 12317
Name : WANJA (EX. ESTHER ELINA, ALDEBARAN)
Latitude : 591800
Longitude : 23500
Date Built : 1919
Registration : HELSINGBORG
Type : SS (STEEL)
Tonnage : 2618
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 91
Beam : 14
Draught : 6m
Loss Day : 15
Loss Month : 10
Loss Year : 1939
Comment : Wrecked at Burness, Sanday
Cargo : PHOSPHATE
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 061588
Feature Class : Wreck
Wreck Category : Non-dangerous wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 59.30867,-2.52538
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 59.30822,-2.52707
WGS84 Origin : Original
Position Method : Global Positioning System
Position Quality : Precisely known
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 2
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : WANJA
Type : SS
Flag : NORWEGIAN
Length : 91.6
Beam : 14.4
Draught : 6.3
Tonnage : 2618
Tonnage Type : Gross
Cargo : PHOSPHATE
Date Sunk : 15/10/1939
Contact Description : Notable debris
Original Sensor : Video Sensor
Original Detection Year : 2002
Original Source : Divers
Circumstances of Loss : **EX-ESTHER ELINA, EX-ALDEBARAN. BUILT IN 1919 BY FREDRIKSTAD MEK VAERKS, FREDRIKSTAD. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY A/B TRANSMARIN. TWO BOILERS, TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE OF 212HP, SINGLE SHAFT. MACHINERY BY A/B LINDHOLMEN MOTLOA, GOTHENBURG. PASSAGE BOCA GRANDE FOR STOCKHOLM. CARGO PHOSPHATE. GROUNDED.
Surveying Details : **31.10.02 REMAINS LIE IN 5918.493N, 0231.624W [WGD] USING GPS. SECTION OF BULKHEAD ABOVE HW LINE. OTHER REMAINS VISIBLE AT LW. (K HEATH, TELECON). INS AS NDW. BR STD.
General Comments : ONLY WRECKAGE REMAINS
Chart Symbol : NDW
Date Last Amended : 31/10/2002
