The steel steam drifter Enzie was launched from the Govan yard of Mackie & Thomson (Yard No 378) in May 1908. She measured 86.4′ x 18.5’ x 8.8’ and her tonnage was 93 gross tons, 35 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine supplied by Gauldie, Gillespie & Company, Glasgow delivering 31 registered horse power. Built for James Hendry and others of Portgordon, she was registered for fishing at Buckie as BCK31. Between August 1915 and 1919 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty as a boom defence vessel for service during WW1. During the inter-war years she passed through a number of owners before being requisitioned for harbour patrol duties 1939-45. Post WW2 she was purchased by a John McIver of Stornoway who owned her until her loss. Here she was registered for fishing as SY524. Her official number was 128360.
Mackie & Thomson’s construction of fishing vessels had a good reputation. It was not uncommon for yards to build a batch of vessels to the same design providing economies through standardisation of components and fabrication techniques. The Enzie was part of a run of steel drifters in 1908, and the picture below is of her sister ship the Golden Rod, ex. Craighead (Yard No 377).
SS Golden Rod. Phil Goodison.
In the early hours of 30 September 1948, the Enzie was returning to Stornoway after a successful few days fishing in the North Minch with 40 cran of herring in her holds. While off Arnish Point and about to enter the main outer harbour area, she was in collision with the Fleetwood trawler Cape Barracouta. Distress rockets were immediately fired but, as the Enzie was taking on water fast, her skipper Donald Graham and nine crew scrambled aboard the Cape Barracouta before the Enzie sank six minutes after the collision.
A wreck thought to be the Enzie lies in the position 58° 11.051’N, 006° 20.757’ W oriented 101/281 degrees. The wreck lies in 27 metres seabed depth rising 3-4 metres from the seabed.
Extract Navionics Boating App
No specific evidence of the identity has been recovered to date but the location and configuration of the wreck make it almost certain that this is the Enzie. The wreck is upright and hull generally in tact. The wreck has a single boiler and steam engine, and has a surveyed length of 28 metres which seems to identify her as the Enzie.
We would like to thank Chris Murray for allowing us to show his video of a dive on the wreck in 2010, which can be found by following the link below.
