Following a hydrographic survey in 2012, new wreck data was published in 2013 for the area west of Kintyre and Islay. This release included an obstruction 14 kilometres south of Gigha, off the west coast of Kintyre. The survey data described the wreck as lying in 58.2 metres, rising 3.92 metres from seabed, 33.9 metres long with a beam of 10.7 metres. Further, the survey scan images suggested the wreck could be a paddle tug with two boilers positioned midships.
A review of our wreck data turned up a number of potential candidates, but none to the same specification and location of loss. A further conversation with Ian Whittaker (author of the excellent “Off Scotland” wreck database) came up with a few more candidates, we concluded the only sure fire way to identify the wreck, was to locate and explore it.
We first dived the wreck in 2015, which we found in its surveyed position of 55° 31.840’N 05° 50.297’W. The wreck was pretty much as described in the survey data, a metal hulled paddle tug lying slightly deeper in 62 metres and rising approximately 4 metres from seabed to the top of the paddlebox frames. The wreck is oriented NW/SE with bow pointing SE towards the Kintyre shore.
Drawing twin engined paddle tug
The bow section of the wreck is heavily degraded and broken, the decks and support beams have dropped into the hull and are now at seabed level, covered in fine sandy silt. At the bow the broken stem post is just visible along with the anchor windlass, and hull plating projects little more than a metre above seabed level.
The central section is the most intact part of the wreck. Here the twin engines sit just below main deck level, these in turn lie between the port and starboard paddlebox frames which remain totally intact, making them the most scenic feature of the wreck. Aft of the engines are two boilers lying side by side, these are fully intact, and topped with the twin smokestack bases which would have connected to her twin funnels. Parts of the funnels lie on the seabed either side of the wreck.
Behind the boilers is the stern area where ropes and towage equipment would have been stored. Again the decks have dropped into the area but the hull is much more intact than the bow section, and full of a jumble of debris, the rudder is still in place and sits slightly to port.
Based on the dimensional survey data and engine configuration e.g. twin engine and boilers, we believe the most likely candidate is the steam paddle tug Universe.
P S Universe – the Royal Museums Greenwich – Gould Collection
Built by J. T. Eltringham and Company of South Shields and launched in 1875, her iron hull had dimensions of 115.8’ x 19.5’ x 9.5’, and her tonnage was 143 gross, 35 net. The engines were supplied by Hepple & Company of South Shields, which were two side lever condensing steam engines.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1921-22.
The Universe had a number of owners throughout her operational life, and these are listed in the table below.
Owner history.
As can be seen, her final owners were The Neptune Marine Salvage Company Limited of Glasgow, who went into liquidation during 1921, along with their other business the Larne Shipbuilding Company. The Liverpool port register for the Universe lists all owners from 1914 onwards, it also has a note in red ink to the effect that the vessel was sunk while on a voyage from Larne to South Shields in April 1921, the same year as the companies liquidation. This picture is further confused as the registry was not closed until December 1923.
Extract of Liverpool port register for Universe.
An extensive search of contemporary newspapers, Lloyd’s List, Lloyd’s casualty reports and other archival material has revealed no reference to the loss of this vessel between 1919 and 1923. As such our view of her identity remains nothing more than an educated guess at this stage. Perhaps some physical evidence might be revealed by a future explorer of the small wreck ….. or perhaps not.
We would like to thank Tom Lang for allowing use to show his video of a dive on the wreck.
We would also like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
