SS Brentwood - Whitby Dive Site

Brentwood

This dive most definitelynot for the novice, requiring slack water it usually tends to be a dark area irrespective of the weather, powerful torches are required (with a second redundancy back advised) there is lots of wreckage to see, if you don't mind a bit of decompression. It is often fouled with net necessitating great care. The site of the wreck leaves the tender sat across Runswick Bay and the fetch from off the cliff can make sitting on the boat uncomfortable. That said it makes for an interesting dive and despite the drawbacks I have enjoyed many dives on the wreck.

GPS Latitude:

54°30.544' N

GPS Longitude:

000°32.485' W

System:

WGS84

Division:

1'=1000

Local Position:

5 miles north of Whitby and 2 miles off shore

Accuracy:

precise 10m~40m

Chart No. / Title:

134 / Tees to Scarborough

Seabed Depth (m):

39 m - 48 m

Orientation:

45°

Vessel Type:

Collier

Nationality:

British

Propulsion:

Steam

Gross Tonnage:

192 grt

Dimensions (m):

68,6x11x4,3

Date Built:

1904

Builder:

S. P. Austin & Son Ltd.

Owner:

Cory Colliers (William Cory & Son) Ltd.

Engine:

Steam Triple Expansion by G. Clark Ltd, Sunderland, one single boiler, single shaft.

Power:

180 h.p.

Date of Loss:

12/01/1917

Cause of Loss:

Mine

Hydrographic Data

**H4069/72 3.12.75 WK LOCATED IN 543030N, 003214W USING DECCA. STANDS 25FT ABOVE SEABED. (RISDON BEAZLEY, HN DTD 13.11.75). INS AS WK 36MTRS. - NM BLOCK.
**H5103/83 16.9.83 WK IN 543038N, 003218W. (KINGFISHER NO.W61, WHITBY AREA, BAYMAN'S HOLE, APRIL 1983 EDN).
**H5103/83 9.9.86 FASTENERS IN 543029N, 003209W AND 543108N, 003225W. POSN FROM DECCA. (KINGFISHER OBSTN BOOKLET, WHITBY AREA).
**H1311/88 11.10.88 WK IN 543032N, 003230W. (M FREEMAN, 30.9.88).
**H6331/87 26.1.89 EXAM'D 21.5.88 IN 543032N, 003223W [OGB] USING TRISPONDER [4 LOP]. SWEPT CLEAR 39.5, FOUL 40.0MTRS. LEAST E/S DEPTH 40.5 IN GEN DEPTH 48MTRS. NO SCOUR. DCS3 HT 8.0MTRS. LENGTH 80MTRS, WIDTH 12MTRS. LIES 045/225DEGS. IN TWO SECTIONS. (LAND & MARINE, HI 414B). AMEND TO WK SW 39MTRS IN REVISED POSN. BR STD.
**HH100/351/09 7.6.95 SAT ON EVEN KEEL. APPROX 100 TONS. MIDSHIPS BRIDGE TO STERN INTACT. FWD OF BRIDGE TO BOW COLLAPSED AND MANGLED ON SEABED. TWO HOLDS AFT. ACCOMMODATION IN STERN AND MIDSHIPS. COMPASS BINNACLE WITH REMAINS OF COMPASS AND STEEL STEERING PEDESTAL IN SAME AREA FALLEN FWD OF BRIDGE INTO EMPTY CARGO HOLD. LARGE SHIP'S WHEEL ON BRIDGE. NO GUN ON STERN OR AUX STEERING MECHANISM. SINGLE BOILER, STEAM TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE. (A C JACKSON/C A RACEY). POSITIONS BELOW THIS POINT ARE IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND DECIMALS OF A MINUTE
**30.8.01 EUT POSN: 5430.544N, 0032.486W. NE 134.
**31.3.09 IDENTIFIED AS BRENTWOOD, BASED ON MACHINERY DETAILS, LENGTH & ARTIFACTS RECOVERED INCLUDING CORY CROCKERY. BELL INSCRIBED "SS BRENTWOOD 1904 LONDON" WAS RECOVERED IN 2007. (CARL RACEY, E-MAIL DTD 27.3.09) IDENTITY AMENDED. NCA.

This wreck, the S/S Brentwood was previously reported by UKHO to be the Hercules. On top of that, the Brentwood as reported by UKHO, was shown to the South East of this position, where there is an unknown wreck, while another Hercules was reported elsewhere. The UKHO reports are left as they are, with its historical details and names are wrong, but the surveying data correct.

Reference Used: UK Hydrographic Office

Wreck History

**BUILT IN 1904 BY S P AUSTIN & SON, SUNDERLAND. OWNED AT TIME OF LOSS BY CORY COLLIERS LTD. ONE BOILER, TRIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE OF 180HP, SINGLE SHAFT. MACHINERY BY G CLARKE LTD, SUNDERLAND. PASSAGE LONDON FOR NORTH SHIELDS. IN BALLAST. STRUCK A MINE LAID BY UC-43. TWO MEN LOST.

CARL RACEY (SSAC)

General Information

Built for Goole to Thames run. (1 of 4, to replace towed, sea going lighters); Struck a mine laid by UC.43 whilst under the command of Erwin Sebelin. The mine detonated under the fore part of the vessel, she sank in 4 minutes at 1.59 a.m.; Two lives lost.

One of ten Cory Colliers involved in the London coal trade, lost off the Yorkshire coast to German U-boats or mines they had laid, the others were: Hustwood, Ocean, Harberton, Vernon, Sir Francis, Harrow, Corsham and Highgate. The Deptford was mined off Scarborough in 1915.

The BRENTWOOD was proceeding on her course at 1.55 a.m. when she struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC.63, the damage from the mine under the fore part of the vessel was significant causing her to sink in just four minutes. The Master and 13 of her crew got clear in the boats but the 2nd Mate and the Fireman on watch when she struck, were lost. The survivors were picked up by the S.S. TOGSTON and landed at Sunderland, as with many rapid sinking's the ships confidential papers were lost with the vessel.

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Photographs courtesy of Carl Racey