Sheerness Minesweepers – HMS Wildfire
This site has a wealth of information about the HMS Wildfire shore base at Sheerness in World War Two. There is a ship and wreck database as well as an excellent article on the defensive barrier.
SS Richard Montgomery
SS Richard Montgomery on youtube. Beware the shallow water to the east at LW. There is a plan to remove the masts. See SS Richard Montgomery – Wikipedia – a United States ship named after an Irish soldier in the Revolutionary War.
H.M.S Arethusa
Arethusa was a Royal Navy Light Cruiser stationed at Harwich under Admiral Tyrwhitt during the Great War. She served as his flagship at the Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914). On the 11th of February 1916, she struck a German mine: whilst being towed back to the port, she sank near the Cutler sandbank by the …
SS Prinses Juliana
The cross-Channel steamer Prinses Juliana (1909) was wrecked off Felixstowe. On 1 February 1916, she struck a mine from UC-5 while on a voyage with passengers from Vlissingen (Flushing) to Tilbury and was grounded. Ultimately the ship became a total wreck. There is confusion in online sources between Juliana and …
HMS Kingfisher
The 46 gun fourth rate H.M.S. Kingfisher was built by Phineas Pett III at Woodbridge in 1675. The Petts were rival shipbuilders to Anthony Deane, who had built ships at Harwich in the 1660s, but was by then at Portsmouth. The history …
Lady Alice Kenlis
The iron hulk on the left bank of the Deben opposite Lime Kiln Quay has an interesting story. It was thought that she was a dredger but recent research shows that she was originally ‘Lady Alice Kenlis’ a three-masted screw steamer, built in 1867 on the Clyde. The story is told here see page 10.
Cork Light Ship
A light ship to the north of Cork Ridge is marked on the 1852 Washington Chart and also appears on a 1903 Meesum Chart. It was replaced by a large buoy in the 1970s.
HMS Beagle
HMS Blazer and Captain Owen Stanley
Surveyor – Explorer – Deben Survey – Franklin – Erebus & Terror – Australia – Rattlesnake and propellers.
European Gateway
Capsized on the sand near Cork Spit, this is on the south side of the channel opposite Wadgate Ledge. See RNLI report
Medusa Buoy, HMS Medusa, Medusa Channel and Lord Nelson
1801 Nelson in HMS Medusa with Capt. Gore is guided by Spence to scrape out to sea.
Collision Regulations
Great Britain has led the World in many things, mostly good: maritime safety is but one example. Before the mid nineteenth century, local …
Confused helm instructions
Robert Fitzroy had overcome the confusion caused by “Larboard” and led the change to using “Port”. However, all was still not well. Until 1930 helm orders were tiller not oriented. Putting the tiller to port, would turn the ship to starboard but a wheel to port would turn the ship to port: the opposite effect. …
Port and Starboard
Once we’ve realised that Port is on the left only when facing the pointy end (not Italians – see later) we take these terms for granted. However, those of a curious bent might wonder how they came about . About ninety percent of us are right handed. Since roman times , at least, we have …