Iron, 1,335-tons, 70.51m long, 11.06m beam, 6.62m draught, very large, full-rigged French sailing ship registered at the port of Dunkirk. She was built as the Brahmin in 1876 at Greenock by R. Steele and Company and owned at the time of loss by Ant.Dom. Bordes & Fils of Dunkirk. She had two decks, one bulkhead and a superstructure consisting of a 13.4m poop-deck and a 10.7m forecastle. She was also classed as a 100 A1 by Lloyd’s of London. The ‘full rigged ship’ is technically the only sailing vessel entitled to be called a ship. She would have been square rigged on all three, or possibly more masts and have had a gaff sail on the mizzen. The Quillota had been trading between South America and France. The French vessel was sailing from Nantes to collect coal from Sunderland when she sank. Vessel stranded and lost in 1901 in ferocious wind conditions ENE force 10. 22 crew were lost. Between 2001 and 2006, marine archaeologists researched the Great Storm of 1901 which wreaked havoc along the east coast on 12th and 13th November. 40 ships were sunk between the Tweed and Tees and over 200 sailors drowned. As part of the group's research, two large iron sailing ships that sank on November 13, 1901, the QUILLOTA and the INGA, were dived on for the first time. The Maritime Archaeological Project was funded by Tomorrow's History and the Local Heritage Initiative Fund. 6 of the 23 crew survived. Later a Frenchman was found wandering in Commercial Road. He told Hendon police that he was one of the crew. A search began for his two comrades who had made it to the shore, but the cliff collapsed on top of them as they climbed. Coastguards dug out one man alive.

Iron, 670-ton, British steamship, registered at Sunderland and owned by Messrs R.M. Hudson & Sons of John Street in Sunderland. She was built in 1868 as a passenger and general cargo vessel, equipped with a single iron propeller said to have been powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine using one boiler. Although this would have been very early for that type of engine and therefore may have been a two-cylinder compound steam engine. On 27 September 1894, under the command of Captain J.G. Stock, the General Havelock was on her return voyage from London to Sunderland, with thirty passengers and a crew of twenty-one, when she foundered after striking the offshore rocks at Hendon in Sunderland.
The remains of the General Havelock have almost disappeared now and all that remains are a few bits of twisted iron framework and girders, a boiler and her iron propeller.
Grid reference conversion made 26.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 54 53 3 W 01 19 27
A silver spoon, marked "General Havelock", recovered from the bottom of the eponymous wreck in the keel area, position quoted as 54 53.291N 001 21.209W. (Droit 015/06) Report from Sunderland Echo 28-SEP-1894
The HAVELOCK had been responsible for the loss of the PEACE [NZ 81 NW 57] off Runswick in a collision in 1884.

Iron, 1,800-ton, 80m long, 11m beam, 5m draught British steamship. She was registered at the port of Sunderland and was built in 1882. Her single, iron propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that used two boilers. The vessel had a centrally positioned superstructure. On 27 January 1910, the James was in ballast on passage from Rouen for the Tyne, carrying a crew of eighteen, when she founder and was lost following a collision with the Dartmouth-registered steamship Vanessa.
The wreck, believed to be that of the steamship James, lies orientated in a north-west to south-east direction, on a dirty seabed of mud and broken shells in a general depth of 54m approx. 10.5miles ENE of Seaham Harbour.
She is still quite substantial, but appears to be upside down and standing some 6m high around her midships section where the hull has collapsed on to the boilers and engine all of which are now exposed and covered in a profusion of soft corals.
Grid reference conversion made 26.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as
N 54 53 37 W 01 05 14

Iron, 869-ton 64m long, 9.19m beam and 4.87m draught British steamship, registered at Newcastle upon Tyne. She was owned by J.H. Reah of Newcastle and built by Wigham, Richardson Ltd, at Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1878. Her single iron propeller was powered by a two-cylinder, compound-steam engine that used one boiler. Her machinery was built at Newcastle upon Tyne by J. Shaw & Co. She had one deck, four watertight bulkheads, a 6.7m poop-deck, 11.9m bridge-deck and a 7.9m forecastle. On 22 February 1894, the Denham foundered and was lost six miles north-east of Seaham Harbour, following a collision with the Danish-registered steamship Rolf. She had been on passage from the Tyne for Rochester, under the command of Captain F. Rochester and was carrying a cargo of coal and a crew of seventeen. There are no reports of any of the crew being lost. It is believed that they were taken on board the Rolf and landed at Sunderland.
The wreck believed to be that of the steamship Denham, lies on a seabed of fine-sand, mud, gravel and broken shell in a general depth of 44m. It is partially buried, well broken up, badly decayed and dispersed over an area of around 55m x 9m. The highest section of the wreck, at around 2m, is the boiler, which lies alongside her broken engine and machinery.
Grid reference conversion made 26.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 54 5 W 01 12 50

Steel, 1,550-ton, Spanish-registered steamship owned by the Montevideo Co. She was built to carry passengers and a 2,500-ton cargo at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1903. Her single steel propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that used two boilers. On 19 October 1908, the abasota was on passage from Algiers, via Bilbao for the Tyne with 2,500 tons of iron ore, under the command of Captain Learete, with a crew of twenty-four on board, when she struck the Whitestones Reef, one mile South-East of Sunderland. She was enduring gale-force winds and blinding rain in massive seas, while hugging the coast-line, when, suddenly, she ground to a halt on the submerged offshore reef.

The remains of the Abasota were discovered on the Whitestones Reef in 1995, after a search using a magnetometer. The wreck is well smashed up, decayed and scattered among the short kelp and rocks, in a general depth of 3-5m. One of her square boilers was found lying on its side along with the remains of much scattered machinery.

Grid reference conversion made 26.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 54 53 3 W 01 19 35

Steel, 51.8m long, 9.1m beam, 4.8m draught British-registered steamship. She was built in 1919 by Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd at Middlesbrough, who also built her machinery. Her single steel (possibly bronze) propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that used one boiler. On 16 January 1943, the Longbird was on passage from the River Clyde for Hull with a cargo of vegetables and rape-seed when she foundered and was lost following a collision with another vessel, some ten miles NE of the Tyne North Pier, 55 06 39N; 01 13 08W or 55 0 6 24N; 01 12 48W (Spokes Database). Neither of these co-ordinates have provided a grid ref when entered into a conversion database.

The wreck lies orientated in a north to south direction on a seabed of mud in a general depth of 66m. She is reported to be intact and upright standing 8m high from amidships to the stern section, but with her bridge structure partially collapsed. The bows, with a large winch attached, are intact, but the hold from here to the bridge is also partially collapsed. The whole wreck, especially her upper section is covered in huge plumose anemones, soft coral and large fish particularly Cod and Ling which have adopted her as a sanctuary. Most, if not all of the bridge navigation instruments should still be in place, including her bell which has to date not been located.

The Spokes and NMR database have a weight recorded of 636T.


Grid reference conversion made 18.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 55 06 40 W 01 13 9

Steel, 466-ton, 47.5m long, 8.3m beam paddle steamship. She was built in 1907 as a passenger/excursion ferry, but hired by the Admiralty from October 1939 and converted to a mine-sweeper. Her twin paddles were driven by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion engine which employed one boiler and she had an armament of one mounted gun that fired 5.44kg (12lb) shells. On 5 July 1941, the paddle-steamer was on passage from London for Leith when she foundered and was lost following an attack by enemy aircraft, offshore from Curry Point, near Whitley Bay.

The wreck site of HMS Snaefell has never been positively identified, although the dimensions of this wreck would fit. It lies orientated in almost a north to south direction, on a hard seabed of sand, gravel shale and colliery waste in a general depth of 40m. She is known to be substantial, standing upwards of 7m high, with some superstructure collapsed to deck level but also with much of it broken up. The site covers an area of 52x22m and almost certainly will be covered by sediment from colliery waste

Grid reference conversion made 18.01.2011 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 54 03 2 W001 20 01

Steel, 520-ton, 50m long, 8.4m beam, 2.8m draught. British steam fishing trawler. She was built as the Norman in 1939, but requisitioned by the Royal Navy in September 1939, renamed HMT Sedgefly and converted into an anti-submarine patrol vessel, equipped with one 10.2cm (4in) gun. Her single screw propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that used one boiler.
On 16 December 1939, just three months after being requisitioned, she was on patrol duties off the Tyne when she detonated a German-laid mine, founder and was lost.

The wreck, possibly that of HMT Sedgefly lies orientated in a south-south-east to north-north-west direction on a hard seabed of dirty sand and gravel, on the edge of the spoil ground in a general depth of 39m. The wreck lies in two halves, both of which are 5m high and reasonably substantial, with one half 10m in length and the other 15m long. Both are covered in an array of soft corals and numerous crustaceans and cod have been observed amongst the wreckage.

The Spokes database records the wreck as 1 miles off Tyne.

Grid reference conversion made 08.12.2010 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 54 03 20 W 01 20 00

Steel, 1,155-ton, 70.1m long, 8.83m beam, 4.78m draught. A British steamship registered in Newcastle upon Tyne built as the Leonora in 1915 and owned by Everett & Newbiggin, but at the time of loss was under contract to the Admiralty as a collier. Her single steel propeller was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that used one boiler.
On 22 March 1918 (another date has been suggested in the Spokes and NMR database- March 21st), the Polleon was on passage between Blyth and the River Tyne with an unspecified cargo of coal when she was torpedoes by the submerged German submarine UB-87. The submarine gave no warning of the attack and the Polleon foundered and was lost with four of her crew.

The wreck has not been positively identified yet but is believed to be that of the steamship Polleon. The wreck lies on a seabed of fine sand in a general depth of 32m. It is quite substantial but almost totally collapsed and well broken up with her boiler upright and visibly exposed, next to the large engine block. Lots of twisted steel plates and broken machinery are strewn around in a jumbled heap, but the bow section is reported to be still fairly intact and covered in soft corals. Close by is the anchor, chain and two winches, while the propeller is on view at the stern end.

Steel, 1,146-ton, 70.13m long, 10.36m beam, 4.01m draught. A Belgian-registered steamship built by Verschure & Co in Amsterdam in 1919 and owned by Armement L. Hermans SA in Belgium. Her single steel screw was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine. She had one deck, a well-deck, four watertight bulkheads and a superstructure consisting of a 42.1m quarter-deck, a 3.9m bridge-deck and a 7m forecastle. The vessel was classed as 100 A1 at Lloyds and was equipped with a brass, pedestal-mounted telegraph and, possibly, steering helm.
On 13 December 1939 the Rosa was on passage from the Tyne for Belgium, with a cargo of coal, when she foundered and was lost with one of her crew, after detonating a German-laid mine five miles east of the River Tyne.

The wreck believed to be that of the steamship Rosa lies orientated in a east-north-east to west-south-west direction on a seabed of fine sand in a general depth of 49m, surrounded by a 0.5m scour. It is very substantial, lying on her side and generally intact, but with some damage to the bow section, where there is a lot of twisted wreckage and debris strewn around, probably caused by the exploding mine. Her bows face to the east-north-east end and she stands around 5.5m high, although some of the hull side is partially buried in the sand. Her bridge structure is also reasonably intact and protrudes from the sand with the upper part of it now broken away.
Owner: Armement L. Hermans Soc Anon.
Built: 1919
Builder: Verschure & Co.
Where Built: Amsterdam
Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine
Machinery: 1 deck, welldeck, 4 bulkheads, quarter deck 138ft, below deck 13ft, forecastle 23ft
The wreck lies at a depth of 15m (Spokes). The NMR has two entries for the Rosa- North Tyneside (NZ 46 NE 101) and South Tyneside (908758 NZ 57 SW 1).
Grid reference conversion made 08.12.2010 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 55 01 30 W 01 16 11