Creteboom Wreck

Field Value
Creteboom Wreck Location
Marine Coordinates (DMM) 		54 8.131 N,9 8.308 W
Latitude, Longitude
Decimal Degrees
  • Latitude: 54.135510
  • Longitude: -9.138460
Name CRETEBOOM
Type tug
Date Sunk Sep 22, 1937
Original Source Larn & Larn 2002; NMS Files; UKHO Wreck Data 1996; www.northmayo.ie
WRECK MAP LOADING ... 54 8.131 N,9 8.308 W
Creteboom on Wreck Map Creteboom Wreck on Google Map
Wreck No: W06704, Place of Loss: River Moy, Ballina, Co Mayo, Source of Coordinate: National Monuments Service, Description: During WWI iron was needed for the massive munitions production and became in scarce supply. The loss of over 6,000 steel-built ships and submarines along with their cargoes (approx. 14,000,000 ton) put further pressures on limited wartime steel resources and concrete was seen as a potential alternative given that it was in ready supply. Towards the end of World War I, production began on several fleets of concrete ships - of the 154 ships and 24 tugboats ordered by the British Admiralty, only 44 ships and 12 tugboats were completed and none of them ready in time to see action during the war. Three of these vessels eventually ended up in Ireland and are still to be seen today in various states of preservation. Two of these now form part of the Carlingford marina complex in Carlingford Lough. The Cretefield (18587) was a barge built in 1919 by T.J. Thompson of Warrenpoint and the Cretegaff (18588) was a steam-towing tug built 1920 in Shoreham by J. Ver Mehr. The third vessel, the Creteboom, lies in a wrecked state in the River Moy, Co. Mayo. The Creteboom was a 267-ton steam-powered tug built from ferroconcrete, a concrete reinforced with steel bars). The 38m long vessel was completed in July 1920. The Admiralty had originally planned to use its fleet of ferroconcrete tugs and barges to transport iron ore from Spain to England but once the war ended that ore was no longer needed. In 1922 the Admiralty sold the Creteboom along with 48 other concrete vessels to Stelp & Leighton Ltd., who started the newly formed Crete Shipping Company. The tugs and barges initially plied the North Sea and Baltic, towing coal to the Continent. The Company went out of business in 1924. After being out of service for a number of years the Creteboom was sold to the South Stockton Shipbreaking Company in 1935 and stripped of all its fittings, boilers, engine and equipment. In 1937 the vessel was sold to the Ballina Harbour Commissioners as a derelict vessel. The Commissioners planned to sink it to form a ‘groyne’ to keep the navigation channel clear at the mouth of the river. However, as the Creteboom was being towed into position, it collided with another vessel and was damaged below the waterline. Efforts to keep it afloat failed and the concrete tug drifted and sank mid-channel where it stayed for 30 years. The tug was re-floated during the mid-1970’s by the OPW and moved a short distance away from the channel to its present position alongside Belleek Woods, where it helps direct the flow of water along the main navigation channel. Today the Creteboom is a well-known local landmark and tourist attraction. Lying only 90m away from the Creteboom is another less obvious wreck called the Floweret WW06731), Lying side by side, the two wrecks graphically illustrate the difference in deterioration rates between a traditional 19th-century wooden sail boat and an experimental concrete boat. The skeletal remains of the wooden boat are barely visible and as a result less well known, whereas the remains of the Creteboom tower out of the river. They provide a tangible insight into WWI, experimental ship construction and the history of navigation on the Moy. Both wrecks can be seen by passing craft plying the waters of the River Moy and viewed from nearby Ballina Quay and Belleek Woods. The Imperial War Museum London hold film footage of one the concrete boats being built and launched in 1918 which can be viewed here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060023128

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FAQ

Where is the CRETEBOOM wreck located?

The CRETEBOOM wreck is located at coordinates 54 8.131 N,9 8.308 W.

When did the CRETEBOOM sink?

The CRETEBOOM sank on Sep 22, 1937.

What type of wreck is the CRETEBOOM?

The CRETEBOOM is classified as a tug.

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