Maritime record MWX4989 - Crown of Denmark

The schooner 'Crown of Denmark', in ballast, from Cowes to Exeter, ran onto Portland breakwater on 13th January 1931, was refloated on the 20th January and eventually beached at Castletown.

The schooner 'Crown of Denmark', in ballast, from Cowes to Exeter, ran onto Portland breakwater on 13th January 1931, was refloated on the 20th January and eventually beached at Castletown (information from Peter Trim). (1)

The two masted sailing barge, Crown of Denmark slipped its anchor in a strong south westerly wind on the 13th January 1931. She was swept across Portland Harbour and struck the breakwater, as waves pounded on the vessel, her crew managed to make their way onto the breakwater where they then spent several uncomfortable hours before they were rescued. Despite her perilous position she was successfully refloated in February and towed across the harbour to be beached at Castletown for repairs.(2)

The building date for this vessel is an estimate based on an average age at wrecking of twenty years. This average is derived from those vessels wrecked on the Dorset coast whose age at wrecking is known.

<1> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<2> Le Pard, G F, 2005, Shipwrecks of the Dorset Coast (Monograph). SDO9637.

<3> Trim, P, 1985 about, Shipwrecks, Abbotsbury to Portland. (Monograph). SWX8061.

<4> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 25 (Monograph). SDO16406.

‘…(LePard pages 58 & 59, notes that Captain Howard of the Crown of Denmark was one of the witnesses to the sinking of the M2)’

Record last edited

Mar 9 2020 11:37AM