Dungonnell

Around 24 February 1903      57 17.257N  01 50.929W      57 in 63 metres

Built: 1883 by McIlwaine, Lewis & Co. Ltd, Belfast - Yard No 17

Construction:  Iron, 273grt, length 158ft (48m), Beam 21.7ft (6.6m), Depth 11.1ft (3.4m)

Propulsion:  single screw, 2-cylinder compound with 19" & 32" cylinders, 27" stroke, 50NHP, 75psi by McIlwaine, Lewis & Co., Belfast

Registered:  Glasgow, UK

We found the wreck by echo-sounder in June 2007 whilst searching an area around local fishermen's Decca coordinates for the '33-Fathom' wreck and dived it on the 23rd August later that year. 

It is a three island ship, upright and largely intact, but her superstructure has collapsed.  She has lost her rudder and all of her propeller blades are sheared off.  Other than that, there is no damage to her hull.   Her aft hold contains telegraph poles, beyond this hold is a very large cargo winch and then a broken area where her engine sits.  The engine is partially obscured by old nets, it is a two cylinder compound steam engine.  Forward of the engine is a mass of wreckage which covers the boiler.  There is a second hold beyond this, again full of the same telegraph poles, but with less silt, they are more pronounced.  A cargo winch is forward of this hold and then a much smaller hatch leading to the forward hold.  The bow is intact but any focsle decking has rotted and fallen into the ship.  There are mast steps and the remains of a derrick which show that she had wooden masts.  No anchors were found on the wreck.

For many years, the identification of the 33-Fathom wreck escaped us, it was one of the only wrecks we had been unable to identify.  So we had another attempt in summer of 2022 where we returned to the wreck for further investigation.  Over two dives we were able to obtain much more information on her structure and confirmed her cargo  as telegraph poles.  Searching the records, we were able to find a vessel closely matching her size and arrangement which was lost in February 1903 while carrying telegraph poles from Shields to Belfast - the SS Dungonnell.

Built in 1883, she was originally owned by the Antrim Iron Ore Co Ltd., Belfast,  she was sold on to the Dungonnell SS Co Ltd, Glasgow (A.F. Blackater) in 1898 and in 1900 to George Lindsay Jnr, Sunderland (but kept on the Glasgow register).  She loaded a cargo of telegraph poles on 23 February, 1903 then headed north on a voyage around the top of Scotland to deliver her cargo to Belfast - She was never heard of again.

Based on her average speed, she would have been passing the mouth of the Ythan on 24th February, in a strong westerly gale with snow and sleet.  We guess from the propeller and rudder damage that, in the reduced visibility, she ran aground - possibly on Hackley Head or the Cruden Scares, which have ended the life of many vessels transiting our coast - and then drifted out to sea.  She may have attempted to arrest her drift by deploying both anchors (which could not be found on the wreck), but to no avail and she eventually foundered about 5 miles ESE of the river Ythan with the loss of all onboard.

On our last dive, we took measurements of her dimensions and engine cylinders, these matched her plans and we were very pleased to have finally solved the mystery of the 33-Fathom wreck.

The Dungonnell lies in a depth of 63 metres, at 57 17.257N 01 50.929W orientated 010/190 degrees with bow north and stern south.