Dovre

The iron steamship Darent was launched from the Whitby yard of Thomas Turnbull and Son Ltd (Yard No 41) on 20th February 1875. She measured 225.0′ x 30.1′ x 17.0′ and her tonnage was 1008 gross tons, 636 net tons. She was powered by a compound steam engine by Blair & Co Ltd., Stockton-on-Tees delivering 106 net horse power.

She was built by Thomas Turbull for his own shipping company and operated for them until 1897 when she was purchased by Halfdan Kuhnle of Bergen to operate on the North Sea routes mainly between Scandanavian and British east coast ports, this came with a change of name to Dovre.

On 12th January 1913 the Dovre departed from Grangemouth for Bergen with a cargo of coal under the command of Captain Knudsen with crew of fourteen. En route they encountered a severe gale and quickly developed a serious leak. With bulwarks smashed and the decks awash water was soon entering the engine room threatening to extinguish the boilers and leave her helpless. The crew worked continuously bailing the engine room with buckets. The pumps were kept running constantly for two days. However in a particularly heavy swell the cargo shifted and the ship was now in serious danger. Captain Knudsen ordered the ship hove to and allowed her to drift with gale.

As the rocky shore of Shetland approached the captain considered their best hope for survival was to attempt the dangerous entry to Aith’s Voe, Bressay and initially his plan looked good but, just as they reached the entrance to the Voe, a huge swell smashed into the ship’s side and swept her broadside onto the shore at Holm of Gunnista. The Aberdeen trawler Morven, which had responded to the distress calls from the Dovre, stood by the stranded ship and finally succeeded in taking off her crew and taking them to safety in Lerwick.

It is not known at this stage if the wreck was salvaged or even removed although it seems highly likely as she lay in shallow water off Aith’s Voe.