Maritime record MWX5243 - Betsy Anna (Ashington)

Discovered in the early 1980s, a maker's label from the boiler confirmed the site as being the Betsy Anna, an 880 ton Coaster, lost on 17 August 1926.

Discovered in the early 1980s, this wreck was thought to be the Dagmar until a maker's label from the boiler confirmed the site as being the Betsy Anna (known earlier in har career as the Ashington). Built in 1892 on the Tyne, she foundered in Poole Bay in October 1826, having originally come to grief and torn her plates at Prawle Point in Devon. After temporary repairs at Salcombe, she was being towed to Cowes but took on a lot of water. She broke her tow, drifted and sank. (1)

Position 50 36.98N 1 49.98W taken from (3)

Remains of the 1926 wreck of a Dutch cargo vessel which foundered off the Needles, while under tow from Prawle Point to Cowes. She had grounded at the former place on her original voyage, which was from Fleetwood to Rotterdam in ballast. Constructed of steel, she was a screw-driven steamer, rebuilt from an iron-hulled schooner.

Wreck site and archaeological remains:

The wreck has been "adopted" by the University of London Sub-Aqua Club (ULSAC) in May 2004, under the Nautical Archaeology Society's "Adopt-a-Wreck" scheme.

She started life as a three-masted, iron-hulled schooner. Over 20 people from the club were involved in the first year's survey. The site being 60m from bow to stern, with ten datums around the site surveyed in. A detailed study, including sketches and photography was carried out on the stern, prop and shaft. (1)

She was discovered in the 1980s and thought to be the DAGMAR, until positively identified from the boilers. Her bows have collapsed and she stands 4m proud of the seabed. (4)

A brass plaque inscribed in French recovered from position 50 37.00N 001 48.86W. (Droit A/645) (3)

The brass elements of the helm recovered, position 50 37.00N 001 48.80W. (Droit A/674) (3)

A steering pedestal, 2 portholes, 2 gauges, a deck fitting, a whistle, 2 stone flagons and 2 valves recovered from this site. (Droit A/929) (3)

2 oiling boxes and 4 bearing caps recovered from this site south of Poole, position 50 37.00N 001 48.60W. (Droit A/1429) (3)

A tap recovered from this wreck, 6 miles S of Poole Harbour. (Droit A/2960) (3)

The wreck of the BETSY ANNA lies in about 25m of water, in 50 36.98N, 001 49.98W (WGS84). She is upright, though rotting through. Her stern leans over to port, her bows have broken and point upwards, and her engine has gone over. The highest parts of the wreck are her main and donkey boilers. The petrol motors still lie in the wreck. The wreck is orientated 080/260 degrees. It stands about 6m high, on a gravel seabed. The wreck was positively identified by the recovery of the nameplate from the donkey boiler. (6)

30-SEP-1980: Swept clear at 16.3, foul at 16.6m. Least echosounder depth 17.5 in general depth 23m. No scour. Lying 080/260 degs. 50 to 60m long, 15m breadth, approximately.

22-SEP-1981: Wreck of about 500 tons gross. Approximately 200 feet long. Stern boiler and bows standing - about 15 feet high. No cargo. Remains of trawl on bow.

19-JUL-1983: Lies 060/240 degs, bows east, upright - central part collapsed except for boiler which stands 18 feet high. Bow stands 20 feet high - fallen back on wreckage and pointing upwards. Stern also 20 feet high.

05-OCT-1983: Identified as the DAGMAR. Purchased from DOT by St Mary Marine of Parkstone, Poole, in Aug 1983. (7)

09-SEP-1995: Wreck identified as the BETSY ANNA.

02-FEB-2007: Lies in 5036.98N, 0149.98W [WGD]. Upright but rotting through. The stern leans to port. Thr bows have broken and point upwards, and the engine has fallen over. The highest points are the main and donkey boilers.

24-JAN-2012: Examined in 5036.992N, 0148.974W [WGD]. The least multibeam depth was 18.07m, in a general depth of 24m. The least W/C depth was 17.45m. Scour 0.4m at north end of wreck. Length 60m. Width 18m. Height 5.0m. The wreck is orientated 030/210 degrees. Strong magnetic anomaly. Collapsed. (8)(9)

Charted by the UKHO as 'BETSY ANNA' in 50 36.992N, 001 48.974W (WGS84). (8)(9)

Wreck event and documentary evidence:

The BETSY ANNA struck rocks at Prawle Point, Devon. She was refloated by a Cowes salvage firm, but sank in a gale off the Needles. (1)

Stranded on Prawle Point, South Devon; was refloated and beached again in Devon for temporary repairs, refloated for a second time, but sank under tow, having just reached the vicinity of the Needles. (2)

Source (2) gives a date of loss of 17-AUG-1926, which would appear to be the date of grounding at Prawle Point, since the loss at the Isle of Wight was reported in source (1) on 18-OCT-1926; source (2) also gives the original destination of Rotterdam.

At 9.15am on the 17-AUG-1926 in a dense fog she went aground at Prawle Point. She was refloated by the tug TRUSTEE and taken for temporary repairs to Mill Bay. On the 12-OCT she was again being towed by the tug TRUSTEE, but off Portland Bill, her tow broke in bad weather and she started to take on water and sank in Poole Bay, her crew being taken off first. She was rediscovered in the 1980s and was at first thought to be the DAGMAR, but was eventually positively identified by a brass plate. She currently lies upright, her bows 4 metres clear of the seabed. (5)

Built: 1872 (2)
Refitted: 1892 (2)
Builder: Dobson and Co. Ltd. (2)
Where Built: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2)
Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine (2)
HP: 120 (2)
Boilers: 1 (2)
Owner: Naam. Venn. Maats. Exploitatie (2) Sold to Cowes Salvage Company in 1926 (6)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Lloyds List.20.08.1926(R);
Lloyds Register.1925-6 No.14619(B)

<1> Isle of Wight County Press, 18-Oct-1926 (Serial). SDO20661.

<2> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Monograph). SDO20591.

<3> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty, 23-Jan to 24-Apr-2001 (Index). SWX4542.

<4> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 282 (Monograph). SWX1.

<5> Shovlar, S, 1996, Dorset Shipwrecks, A comprehensive guide to the shipwrecks of Purbeck and Poole Bay. , 1590160 (Monograph). SWX8036.

<6> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979 (Monograph). SDO10496.

<7> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 03-Apr-17 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<8> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 19428 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<9> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, 55 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<10> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 13 (Monograph). SDO16406.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 895838 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 8 2024 3:41PM