Einar

The iron steamship Einar was launched from the Motola yard of W Tham in 1872.  She measured 94.5′ x 22.8′ x 11.9′ and her tonnage was 217 gross tons, 148 net tons.  She was powered by a 2 cylinder compound steam engine by Motola Co delivering 45 registered horse power.  She was ordered by Mr J A Kruger of Bergen who was to own and run the vessel for her entire career. 

On 16th August 1893 Einar was en route from Middlesbrough to Iceland with a cargo of salt under the command of Captain Halland who had a crew of eight men aboard.  As they approached Buchan Ness they vessel was enveloped in a dense fog.  In the poor visibility Einar ran aground south of the lighthouse.  The sea was calm so the crew were in no danger and quickly Halland reversed engines and succeeded in pulling her off the rocks.  Unfortunately Einar’s hull was revealed to be seriously damaged and leaking badly.  Halland, reluctantly, took the decision to run his ship ashore to ensure the crew’s safety and with a view to a later salvage effort to save the ship.  He turned his vessel towards the shore and ran her into a narrow gulley on the north side of the lighthouse nicknamed’ The Gutter.’  His men were able to scramble safely ashore safely.  Subsequent salvage efforts proved fruitless and she eventually broke up and became a total wreck. 

The remaining wreckage of Einar lies in the gulley north of the lighthouse in position 57° 28.303’N, 01° 46.493’W between 6 and 8 metres.  The scattered wreckage is mainly broken plates and random segments of the hull due to the effects of later salvage and the exposed nature of the site.

We’d like to thanks Naomi Watson for her permission to use her underwater photographs of the site.