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Boyne Castle: Firth Of Forth
Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Boyne Castle: Firth Of Forth
Classification Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) The Wee Bankies; 'about 20 Miles Out From Eyemouth'; '12 Miles N By E From St Abbs Head'; Outer Forth Estuary; Boyne Castle
Canmore ID 101589
Site Number NT99SE 8001
NGR NT 95854 90614
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/101589
- Council Maritime
- Parish Maritime - Offshore
- Former Region Not Applicable
- Former District Not Applicable
- Former County Not Applicable
NT99SE 8001 unlocated
NLO: St Abbs Head [name: NT 911 694]
Eyemouth [name: NT 945 644].
Location formerly entered as NT 9585 9061 [N56 6.5 W2 4].
See also NT99NE 8028.
Horizontal Datum = UND
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
15 February 1971. The vessel was captured by submarine and sunk by gunfire 12 miles N by E from St Abbs Head.
Source: World War I Shipping Loses.
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as steel steamship, in ballast: date of loss cited as 7 February 1917). Boyne Castle: this vessel was sunk by gunfire from a submarine 12 miles NxE from St Abbs Head.
Registration: Banff. Built 1909. 245grt. Length: 36m. Beam: 7m.
(Location of loss cited as N56 6.5 W2 8.0).
I G Whittaker 1998.
The map sheet assigned to this record is essentially arbitrary, being derived from the unverified location formerly cited. The loss may have occurred within the area designated as Maritime - East Lothian.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 26 June 2007.
[No accurate location cited]. A wreck identified as that of the 'Boyne Castle' was dived in mid-May 2008 by Mr S Adams. A bell citing that name and the recorded date of building (1909) was recovered.
The vessel remains coherent and upright, and lies (on a N-S orientation) in a general depth of 53m and on a white sandy seabed, within an area known as 'The Wee Bankies'. The location is approximately that (N56 5 W2 0), formerly cited for the 'Cradock' [NT99NE 8028], and is about 20 miles out from Eyemouth.
The bow and stern areas remain intact, but the midships area has collapsed into the hold(s). The bridge and accommodation areas have also collapsed; all the bridge fittings (helm, telegraph and binnacle) was observed in the wreckage. The boiler and engine appear to be intact and stand 6m high, the least depth (47m) being in this area. The stern is upright with both the propeller and the rudder remaining visible. The bow leans to port, a scour pit 1m deep being visible.
A bell was found in the wreckage of the bridge, but was lost while being recovered. Another bell was found in the sand forward, just off the focsle; this was recovered and cleaned, and found to be inscribed 'Boyne Castle 1909'.
Information from Mr S Adams (South Queensferry SAC), 19 May 2008.
The Wee Bankies are not noted as such on either of the UKHO chart nos. 175 (published 1977, amended 1996) or 1407 (published 1978).
Informatrion from RCAHMS (RJCM), 19 May 2008.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 2179
Name : BOYNE CASTLE
Latitude : 560630
Longitude : 20800
Date Built : 1909
Registration : BANFF
Type : SS (STEEL)
Tonnage : 245
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 36
Beam : 7
Draught : 2m
Loss Day : 7
Loss Month : 2
Loss Year : 1917
Comment : Sunk by gunfire from sub 12 miles NxE from St. Abbs Hd
Cargo : BALLAST
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 002912
Feature Class : Wreck
Wreck Category : Non-dangerous wreck
State : DEAD
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 56.10833,-2.06667
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 56.10827,-2.06825
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Previous Position : 56.10833,-2.06667
Position Quality : Unreliable
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 59
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : BOYNE CASTLE
Type : SS
Flag : BRITISH
Length : 35.7
Beam : 6.7
Draught : 2.6
Tonnage : 245
Tonnage Type : Gross
Cargo : BALLAST
Date Sunk : 07/02/1917
Contact Description : Entire wreck
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Original Detection Year : 1917
Original Source : Other
Circumstances of Loss : **BUILT IN 1909 BY DUNDEE SB CO LTD, DUNDEE. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY BANFFSHIRE STEAM SHIPPING CO LTD. ONE BOILER, COMPOUND EXPANSION ENGINE OF 60NHP, SINGLE SHAFT. PASSAGE MACDUFF FOR SUNDERLAND. CAPTURED BY SUBMARINE AND SUNK BY GUNFIRE. (WW1SL & SIBI).
Surveying Details : **15.2.71 SUNK 12 MILES N BY E FROM ST ABBS HEAD. (WW1SL). POSN 560630N, 020400W FOR FILING ONLY.
POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE
**HH091/051/01 15.1.04 NOT LOCATED, DISPROVED. (NP 1008, HI 1051). AMEND DEAD. NCA.
Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY
Date Last Amended : 15/01/2004
Date Position Last Amended : 23/10/2003
