Wyre Majestic

The steel motor trawler Wyre Majestic was launched from the Selby yard of Cochrane and Sons Ltd (Yard No 321) on 12th May 1956.  She measured 127.5′ x 27.0′ x 13.5′ and her tonnage was 338 gross tons, 119 net tons.  She was powered by a 7 cylinder 4SA diesel engine by Mirlees Speed Ltd delivering 736 brake horse power. Her official number was 187853. Built for Wyre Trawlers Ltd., Fleetwood she was registered in this port FD 433 on 12th November 1956 successfully working the fishing grounds off the north and west of Scotland, the Faroes and as far north as Iceland.  Two years after her launch she stranded near the Mull of Galloway but, on this instance, she was safely refloated and returned to service.   

However, in October 1974 she was not to be so lucky. The crews of the two Fleetwood trawlers Wyre Majestic and her sister ship Wyre Defence had planned to spend a last night in Oban before heading south for home.  They landed their catch at Oban around lunchtime on the 18th October but, as the harbour was particularly busy, they could not get a berth for the night.  The two skippers agreed to continue their voyage home directly, planning to head down the Firth of Lorne, west of Scarba and Jura then through the Sound of Islay.  

All went well until they reached the entrance to the Sound of Islay around 7pm that evening.  By this time the sun had set and in the growing darkness the Wyre Defence was a couple of miles ahead of her sister ship.  The narrow confines of the Sound of Islay, with it’s strong currents which reach 5 knots at times, is not the best passage in the dark but, as high tide was around 8pm, the skippers were unconcerned.  It is not clear exactly why the Wyre Majestic went aground but, shortly after entering the Sound and with the bosun at the helm, she ran full speed ahead onto the rocks at Rubha a Mhill.  

Her distress call was picked up ashore and the Islay lifeboat was launched from Port Askaig and was quickly on the scene.  The Wyre Defence turned back and was also standing by her sister ship.  First the lifeboat then the Wyre Defence tried to pull her off but neither succeeded.  The Wyre Majestic had a large gash in her hull and had quickly filled with water settling heavily on the rocks.  Five of her crew were taken off by the lifeboat but the skipper and two others stayed aboard hoping that the salvage tug that had been called would be able to get her off.  The tug arrived the next day but attempts to pull her off the rocks failed.  She was abandoned and became a total wreck.  For many years the full wreck was visible to passing vessels on the Sound of Islay where she ran aground in position 55° 52.951’N, 006 07.150’W (WGS84) and it  was possible to board her although the strong tides and shallow reefs made approach by boat very difficult.  However her position was very exposed to westerly storms and eventually, around 2000, the wreck broke in two and has since gradually deteriorated. Today there is very little to see above sea level, any wreckage remaining lies in shallow water off Rubha a Mhill.