The steel motor vessel Cristo was launched from the Wivenhoe yard of Rennie Forrestt Shipbuilding Co Ltd (Yard No 1268) in 1916. She measured 89.0′ x 19.1′ x 9.1′ and her tonnage was 140 gross tons, 70 net tons. She was powered by a 2 cylinder 2SCSA diesel engine by J and G Bolinders Co Ltd delivering 34 nominal horse power.
Built for Mr Wilfred Christopherson of Ipswich she was first registered there on 11th April 1916. Multiple ownership changes followed before she was acquired by the Liverpool Lighterage Co Ltd who upgraded her engine to a 4 cylinder 4 SCSA diesel by R A Lister and Co Ltd., Dursley. In 1963 she was purchased by her final owners, the Light Shipping Co Ltd (Ross and Marshall), of Glasgow who renamed her Limelight.
The entrance into Port Ellen from the sea is not an easy one and a number of vessels have come to grief on the many rocky shoals lurking just beneath the surface close to the harbour itself. The Limelight, inward bound to Port Ellen with a cargo of 126 tons of bricks and 50 tons of bagged lime, was one of these casualties. In the early hours of the morning of 10th October, 1966 she went aground on Sgeir Thraghaidh which lies about a quarter of a mile south west of the harbour. With the Limelight stuck fast on the rock her captain sent out a distress message which was picked up by Oban Radio at 4:24am that morning. Within an hour the Islay lifeboat had been launched and was speeding the scene.
When she reached the grounded coaster the lifeboat stood by as the crew hoped that their ship might float off the rock at high tide. As the tide rose water began filling the hold and the crew were taken off as a precaution but she held fast. An inspection later in the day showed that, apart from the water in the hold, the ship was dry and hopes were still high that she could be saved. With a salvage attempt planned for the next day the crew returned to their ship to make the necessary preparations. However, the weather was to take a hand and during the night of the 11th the crew had to be taken off again as the wind increased and a swell began to work the ship on the rock. The next day there was four feet of water in the engine room and it was too rough to get pumps aboard to keep the incoming water at bay. During the day the weather got worse and the watching crew and salvage team could see that, if the weather continued, the ship would be lost. Two days later, after removal of all moveable gear and fittings, the Limelight was abandoned. On the 21st she finally broke in two and slipped off the rock. She was later extensively salvaged for scrap.
The remains of the Limelight lie in 3 – 9 metres on the north west side of Sgeir Thraghaidh in position 55° 37.112’N, 006° 11.721’W. The wreck is in two major sections with the bow section nearest the rock and the stern section a few metres further out. The bow section, which lies upside down and rises to within a few metres of the surface, faces towards the stern section which strangely is facing in the opposite direction leaving the bow and stern of the wreck facing directly towards each other. The site is sheltered except for winds directly from the south and is therefore not subject to strong tidal streams or swell except in severe weather conditions.