Built for the British government Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and based in Grimsby the steel steamship Ernest Holt was launched from the yard of Cochrane and Sons Ltd in Selby (Yard No 1342) on 9th June 1948. She measured 54.14m x 9.20m x 4.57m and her tonnage was 573 gross tons, 122 net tons.
Lloyd’s register 1980
She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Amos and Smith Ltd delivering 900 indicated horse power. In 1971 she was transferred to the ownership of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland based in Leith and renamed Switha. For the following nine years she operated as a Fisheries Protection vessel around the Scottish coastline. 1980 was to be her last year of service as the old vessel was destined for the breaker’s yard at the end of the season.
Fisheries protection vessel Switha dockside
However, on 31st January 1980 Switha was returning to her base at Leith under the command of Captain David Dickson at the end of her latest sixteen day patrol of the fishing grounds north and west of the country. As she neared port the weather deteriorated and had developed into a Force 9 gale. Captain Dickson was at the helm as she made her difficult approach towards the dock gates at Leith buffeted by a large swell and cross winds. Without warning, the ship ran hard aground on Herwit Rock which lies at the south east corner of Inchkeith.
Wreck of Switha on Herwit Rocks
The crew were not in any immediate danger as the ship was high on the rocks but the alarm was raised and a Coastguard helicopter quickly arrived on the scene and took off thirteen of the twenty five men aboard. The South Queensferry inshore rescue boat was also launched but had to be towed back to harbour with engine trouble. Anstruther lifeboat raced across the Firth to stand by the stricken vessel and the crewmen remaining aboard. The following day two tugs arrived hoping to pull her off the rocks but Switha was stuck fast. Six pumps were then delivered by helicopter but despite the efforts to lighten the ship she could not be moved. Her hull was badly holed causing water to flood in faster than the pumps could push it out.
On 2nd February it was concluded that the old ship could not be economically recovered and the attentions of the salvage team turned to the danger of pollution from the 50 tons of fuel oil remaining aboard. It was decided that the ship should be blown up to allow the fuel to escape and be contained in a controlled manner. 650 pounds of explosives were prepared and, on 6th February, a team led by Lieutenant Commander John Bellchamber placed and set off the huge charge. The river was temporarily closed to all sea traffic to allow the detonation to take place.
Wreck of Switha blown up to disperse fuel oil
Despite the massive explosion and subsequent salvage operations, the wreck remained visible above the surface for many years in an approximate position 56° 01.183’N, 003° 06.725’W off Herwit Rock. Over the years the wreck gradually broke up and finally disappeared beneath the waves around 2001. Some scattered metal remains still exist in the shallow waters off the rocks and are sometimes visible at exceptionally low spring tides.
