The steel steam tug Oceana was launched from the Dundee yard of Gourlay Brothers Ltd (Yard No 136) on 27th March 1889. She measured 140.0′ x 22.7′ x 13.1′ and her tonnage was 337 gross tons. She was powered by twin compound steam engines delivering 160 nominal horse power. She was built for William Watkins Ltd., London.
SS Oceana
Extract of Lloyds register 1915.
At the beginning of World War One she was requisitioned by the Admiralty to operate as a support vessel for the Navy and it was in this role that she was stationed at Scapa Flow in 1918 employed mainly as a rescue tug.
Oceana on boom defence duty Scapa Flow.
On 18th December, while under the command of Lieutenant Henry Blount RNR, she was lying anchor off Mill Bay, Eday when she was run down by another tug, Stobo Castle. Thankfully none of the crew were lost or injured but the Oceana sank soon after and was a total wreck. Further details of the accident were not available due to wartime reporting restrictions.
Tug Stobo Castle
The wreck of the Oceana was the subject of misidentification for many years. Previously believed to be the Char, in 2003 local wreck researcher Kevin Heath correctly identified the wreck as Oceana. She lies in position 59 12.430 N, 002 44.680 W in 12 metres of water with a least depth of 6 metres.
Stern view of Oceana wreck off Mill Bay Eday
We’d like to thank Peter Swampmeister for his permission to use his underwater photograph of the wreck in this article.
We’d also like to thank Lindsay Reid for her permission to use her underwater video of the wreck.
