Maritime record MWX1901 - Laureate

`...having left Weymouth and Portland Road that evening the yacht moored to one of the government buoys about half a mile from the shore end of the breakwater. The weather got much worse and at this point most of the party wanted to return to Weymouth, but it was judged safer to remain where they were until daylight. The cable holding the yacht to the buoy then parted in rough seas. Distress signals went unseen and it soon became obvious that the vessel would go onto the breakwater. Some of those on board got into her boat, but it was immediately smashed against the side of the yacht, stove in, leaving its occupants in the water, not all of whom were recovered. The yacht then smashed against the rocks where two men managed to scramble ashore onto the breakwater, but were powerless to help the others, who were either washed away or dashed against the rock. The two survivors scrambled along the breakwater to Castletown seeking assistance. (1)(4) The figures given in sources (1) and (4) state that all but one of those on board were lost; the text cited, however, states that two men were saved. Built: 1884 Owner: L Carter, Weymouth Master: Strickland Crew: 2 Crew Lost: 1 Passengers: 9 Passengers Lost: 9 Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: DDCP.31.10.1887(Mon)®; Weymouth Library pamphlet No.L.910.4.LA4
net tonnage

<1> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<2> 1975, Dorset magazine : the county magazine vol. 49, p27 (Article in serial). SWX4562.

<3> Board of Trade, 1889, Parliamentary papers 1889, Board of Trade Casualty Returns, p126 (Monograph). SWX4739.

<4> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<5> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 805 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 901193 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2024 5:08PM