Stormlight

The steel motor vessel Stormlight was launched from the Northwich yard of W J Yarwood and Sons (Yard No 906) on 3rd June 1957.  She measured 88.3′ x 21.0′ x 9.2′ and her tonnage was 158 gross tons, 71 net tons.  She was powered by a 3 x 2 cylinder marinised Ford diesel engines installed by Yarwood.  She was ordered by Ross and Marshall, Glasgow and registered there on 20th September 1957.

She was en route from Campbeltown to Oban when she ran aground on Eilean nam Gabhar at the entrance to Craighouse, Jura at 7:10pm on December 15th, 1973.  Despite gale force winds there was no panic and the crew were soon taken off by Islay lifeboat which arrived at the scene in answer to distress calls.  The next day the wreck was clearly visible from Craighouse Pier and it was hoped that she could be saved.  As the tide flooded she refloated but could be seen bumping hard on the seabed  as she was trapped between the reef and the rocks of the island.  She became a total wreck and at some point rolled over onto her port side and remained jammed between the island and the reef, stern towards the shore and with her starboard gunwhale above sea level.

Over the years the effects of the waves and the tides, and possibly the attention of a salvage team, have gradually broken the ship apart so that today only the bow section remains reasonably intact lying in 5 metres in position 55° 49.995’N, 005° 56.222′ W on a rock and sand seabed.  The shallowest part of the wreck still almost breaks the surface so care should be taken when approaching by boat.  Otherwise the site is very sheltered and provides an interesting short dive at the end of a day of deeper diving.