Phaeacian: Firth Of Forth

(Classified as steel steamship: no cargo specified, but date of loss cited as 29 September 1943). Phaeacian: [this vessel was in] collision and sank off Elie (San Zotico).

Registration: Harwich. Built 1920. 480grt. Length: 44m. Beam: 8m.

(Location of loss cited as N56 9.40 W2 51.70).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Quality of fix = 0015

Evidence = Swept by Wire(Single Ship/Boat Drift Sweep)

Horizontal Datum = OGB

General water depth = 29

Orientation of keel/wreck = 010/190

Circumstances of Loss Details

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The vessel sank following a collision with the British super tanker SAN ZOTICO. It was taken in tow by a tug but sank shortly afterwards.

Surveying Details

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10 October 1943. Reported position of loss is 182 degrees, 3794 metres from Kincraig Fort.

28 July 1960. The wreck is located but not swept. The least clear water depth by echosounder is 27.4 metres.

24 May 1977. The site is known locally as the 6 fathom wreck. Source; Dunbar Coastguard.

6 August 1986. Visually inspected by divers and apparently now broken into 3 parts, which stand no more than 4 metres high in a general water depth of 30 metres. The position conversion from DECCA to Lat/Long gives 56 09 20N, 002 51 32W.

25 January 1994. The site was examined on the 22 August 1993 at 56 09 17.1N, 002 51 33.7W. The site swept clear at 25.4 metres, but fouled the wire at 25.8 metres. The least clear water depth by echosounder was 25.6 metres in a general water depth of 28.7-29.4 metres. A scour pit was observed to the depth of 29.5 metres. The side scan sonar trace gave the wreck's height at 4 metres, length 64 metres (210 feet), and breadth 15 metres (49 feet). The vessel is broken up, but the keel orientation is 010/190 degrees. Report by Oceonics (UK) Ltd.

Hydrographic Office 1995.

(Location cited as N56 9.20 W2 52.32 [WGS-84 N56 9.288 W2 51.655]: alternative and formerly-cited locations listed].

(Brief record of cirumstances of loss, situation, surviving remains and condition of wreck).

B Baird 2009.

Whittaker ID : 1345

Name : PHAEACIAN

Latitude : 560924

Longitude : 25142

Date Built : 1920

Registration : HARWICH

Type : SS (STEEL)

Tonnage : 480

Tonnage Code : G

Length : 44

Beam : 8

Draught : 3m

Position : Exact Position

Loss Day : 29

Loss Month : 9

Loss Year : 1943

Comment : Collision & sunk off Elie (SAN ZOTICO)

UKHO Identifier : 002936

Feature Class : Wreck

Wreck Category : Dangerous wreck

State : LIVE

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 56.15472,-2.85931

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 56.15464,-2.86078

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Previous Position : 56.15555,-2.85888

Position Method : Electronic Distance Measuring System

Position Quality : Surveyed

Position Accuracy : 13.0

Depth : 25.0

Depth Method : Swept by wire-drag

Depth Quality : Least depth known

Water Depth : 29

Water Level Effect : Always under water/submerged

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : PHAEACIAN

Type : SS

Flag : BRITISH

Length : 43.9

Beam : 7.6

Draught : 3.4

Sonar Length : 64.0

Sonar Width : 15.0

Shadow Height : 4.0

Orientation : 10.0

Tonnage : 480

Tonnage Type : Gross

Cargo : 350 TONS TIMBER

Date Sunk : 29/09/1943

Scour Depth : 0.1

Contact Description : Entire wreck

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Last Sensor : Physical Snag

NLO: Elie [name: NT 493 997]

Elie Ness [name: NT 496 993]

Kincraig Point [name: NT 465 995].

Formerly entered as NT49NE 8132.

(Location entered as NT 4662 9610 [N56 9.2833 W2 51.5583]). UKHO chart no. 734 (1993, revised 1995) charts this wreck as wire-swept to 25m depth on an uneven seabed at a depth of about 30m which slopes to the S. A mixed seabed of gravel, sand and mud over rock is charted immediately to the S.

The cited location lies 2.35nm SW of Elie Ness.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 2 March 2012.