The steel motor vessel Bettina Danica was launched from the Sakskobing, Denmark yard Oakskobing Mask og Skibsvaerft in 1990. She measured 69.35m x 11.60m x 6.00m and her tonnage was 1354 gross tons, 783 net tons. She was powered by a 4SA 8 cylinder diesel engine by Aabrenaa Motofabrik A/S delivering 1028 brake horse power. She was owned by P/R Danica XII (H Folmer and Co) of Tisvildeleje, Denmark.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1992
On 13th February 1993 she was en route in ballast from Greenore in Ireland to Oslo. It is unclear why she stranded on Mell Head, Stroma but the notorious tides and currents of the Pentland Firth were most likely to blame. Thankfully, although the ship was aground in an exposed position, the crew were safely evacuated by helicopter shortly after she went ashore. It was initially expected that she would be refloated but efforts by salvage tugs to do so proved unsuccessful.
The local community were fearful that the wreck, which happened only a few weeks after the disastrous stranding of MV Braer on Shetland, might result in another ecological incident. A report the following day indicated that there was indeed a sheen of oil on the sea around the wreck but, as the Bettina Danica was empty at the time, it was only the fuel oil that might have caused problems. Over the next few days this oil was removed from the ship and further leaks were therefore avoided. Later, battered by storms, she was abandoned as a total wreck and slowly began to break apart.
