The steel motor vessel Innisjura was launched from the Alloa yard of A. Jeffrey and Co Ltd (Yard No 8) on 19th June 1913. She measured 74.2′ x 18.7′ x 8.8′ and her tonnage was 127 gross tons, 65 net tons. She was powered by a 2SCSA 2 cylinder diesel engine by Tuxham Engineering Co Ltd delivering 110 brake horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1920.
Built for Coasting Motor Shipping Co Ltd. of Glasgow the Innisjura was requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a fleet auxiliary water carrier on 2nd October 1915 and posted to Scapa Flow. She survived the war and was purchased by Renhold Frisk of Cardiff in March 1920. The company changed name to Mizel Shipping Co Ltd in April 1920 and throughout 1920 the Innisjura plied between ports on the Scottish and English east coast carrying mainly cargoes of coal and iron ore.
SS Innishowen similar spec. different builder to Innisjura, see extract Lloyd’s Register above for more details.
At 7pm on 10th January 1921, while on a voyage from Loch Broom to Glasgow with a cargo of wooden telegraph poles, she was caught in a strong north westerly gale and poor visibility and driven ashore at Carn Deag at the entrance to Loch Broom. Her crew escaped in the ship’s boat and landed safely at Ullapool. Initially it was hoped that the vessel, which remained on the rocks where she grounded apparently undamaged, but, when salvage team boarded her on 13th January, they found her bilge plates on the port side badly holed and buckled, three of her starboard bilge plates buckled and her bilge keel crushed for the entire length of the ship. Despite this they were still optimistic she could be saved. The deck cargo of telegraph poles was recovered and plans made to return to recover the remainder of the cargo and commence temporary repairs to refloat her. However for the next few days the area was subject to another gale and on the 19th she slipped off and sank in deep water.
Lloyd’s Casualty Report – Jan 1921.
Lloyd’s Casualty Report – Jan 1921.
The wreck of the Innisjura was discovered by divers in 1994 lying in position 57° 56.308’N, 005° 21.169’W oriented 000/180 degrees. She lies in 33 metres with a least depth clearance of 28 metres. She was identified by the recovery of the ship’s bell inscribed ‘INNISJURA 1913’. The wreck is reported to sit upright and, although the deck structure has vanished, is still reasonably intact. The divers reported her cargo of telegraph poles also clearly visible.
