The steel motor vessel Silvia was launched from the Waterhuizen, Holland yard of Scheepswerf Waterhuizen (J Pattje) NV (Yard No 333) on 8th November 1977. She measured 264.7′ x 46.9′ x 17.1′ and her tonnage was 1599 gross tons, 1012 net tons. She was powered by a 6 cylinder 4SA diesel engine by Motorenw Mannheim delivering 2998 brake horse power. Built for Silvia Scheepsbedrifj Noordlijn, Delfzijl she was renamed Helgazee in 1985. Four years later her registration was transferred to Limasol, Cyprus for the Helgazee Shipping Company Limasol and she was renamed Helge. Her next owner was the Sigrid Shipping Co (Oskar Wehr KG) registered in Antigua and Barbuda who renamed her Sigrid. Her registration remained in the Carribean nation when she was renamed Golf Star in 1995.
On 20th October 1995 the Golf Star was en route from Arklow to Rostock with a cargo of 2750 tons of granite chips. She had a crew of eight men aboard. It is not clear why she ran aground but, on a cold clear night in good visibility, her captain appears to have passed a flashing cardinal buoy on the wrong side and immediately ran aground on rocks off the island of Scalpay. As the sea was calm, her crew were in no immediate danger and were soon safe and sound ashore on Scalpay. However the ship had gone aground in a very difficult position making refloating impossible. Attempts to pull her off were hampered by bad weather over the subsequent days and were ultimately unsuccessful. She was reported to be jammed in a gulley with her stern overhanging a steep cliff and within two weeks, after some bad weather, was reported to be starting to break up.
Golf Star aground at Scalpay, Harris
There was great concern among the local population that her fuel oil would leak and cause an environmental catastrophe particularly as there were a number of fish farms close by the wreck. Over the following days a number of small oil slicks were reported but thankfully the bad weather, which had hampered the salvage attempts, and the resultant swells and waves dispersed the oil with little environmental impact.
The wreck of the Golf Star lies in position 57° 51.011’N, 006° 40.945’W scattered among rocky gullies with some large portions of the wreck including the propeller and rudder still visible. We have no up to date reports of the condition of the wreck but clearly, it will have deteriorated over time due to it’s exposed position and the shallow nature of the site.
