Motor Vessel Wreck 17264

Surveying Details

18.12.06 WK LOCATED IN 5625.196N, 0300.697E [WGD]. LENGTH 19.7MTRS, WIDTH 5.77MTRS. STANDS 0.4MTR HIGH BY DEPTH GAUGE. LIES E/W WITH BOWS E. UPRIGHT AND SUNK INTO SAND. HULL & RUDDER INTACT. NO PROPS, SUPERSTRUCURE OR ANCHOR. (R G ROSS, EMAIL DTD 6.12.06). NO SOUNDINGS SHOWN ON BA 1481. NCA. 15.3.07 THIS WAS ONE OF 40 US BUILT 'DISTRIBUTION BOX (TYPE L)' BOATS BUILT BETWEEN 1940 AND 1942. SIDE NUMBERS WERE L64-L101, VESSELS WERE UNNAMED. THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY FOR MAINTENANCE OF CABLES AND DISTRIBUTION BOXES ASSOCIATED WITH COMMMAND DETONATED BOTTOM MINES, BUT THIS USE WAS NOT EXCLUSIVE. LATER WAS DAMAGED AND WAS PURCHASED IN 1980 BY A CRAWFORD, KILBURN SALVAGE LTD, AND MODIFIED WITH A WINCH AND CRANE TO BE USED IN THE FURTHER SALVAGE OF ARMOUR PLATE FROM HMS ARGYLL (QV). ENGINE AND SHAFT REPAIRS PROVED FRUITLESS AND WAS MODIFIED WITH A SPONSON AND USED AS A DUMB BARGE IN THE SALVAGE. AT THE COMPLETION OF WORK WAS MOORED IN JOCK'S HOLE, ADJACENT TO MR CRAWFORD'S FARM, WAS DAMAGED BY ICE AND SANK. DIVED 9.06 AND FOUND TO BE A STEEL HULL, MODERATELY DECAYED. PLATES BADLY CORRODED AND NO IDENTIFICATION MARKS LOCATED. CONSIDERED THAT WK WOULD BE EXPOSED AT LAT. (R G ROSS, NAUTICAL ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, REPORT DTD 1.07). ALTHOUGH NO SOUNDINGS SHOWN ON BA 1481, INS AS ST. BR STD. SEP 2009/000106307 10.2.11 ST SHOWN IN 5625.187N, 0300.657W [WGD] ON PHOTOPLOT PG 2489/1. PROBABLY THIS WK. AMEND POSN. NC 1479 .