The wooden steam drifter Chance was launched from the Wick yard of Donald Alexander in 1908. She measured 88.0′ x 19.0′ x 9.4′ and her tonnage was 92 gross tons. She was powered by a 2 cylinder compound steam engine by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge delivering 39 registered horse power. She was ordered by Messrs F Miller and G Simpson of Wick and registered in this port WK270.
Steam drifter Chance under way
In December 1915 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty for war service based in Scapa Flow. Her wartime career was to be very brief as she was lost in a collision with an unknown vessel off Flotta, Scapa Flow only a few weeks later on 26th January 1916. The details of the incident are not available at this time.
Sidescan of wreck site (Sula Diving)
A wreck of a wooden steamship close to the large protected wreck site of the Prudentia was investigated by Sula Diving in May 2016. The wreck which lies in position 58 50.819’N, 03 08.090’N is well broken and, of course, most of the wooden remains have rotted and disappeared. However the remaining wreckage, which lies in 13 metres with propeller, rudder still visible and engine visible midships, provided enough evidence to strongly suggest this wreck is indeed FV Chance. In particular, the raised numerals visible on the remains of the funnel, appear to match the fishing registration number of Chance.
Propeller and rudder on wreck (Sula Diving)
We’d like to thank Kevin Heath and Sula Diving for their permission to include photographs and sidescan details of the wreck in this article. Further details of the vessel and the survey to locate and identify her can be found at www.lostinwatersdeep.co.uk.
