Achilles

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

The Achilles, a sailing vessel, in ballast, 1300 tons gross or 1450 tons (the records are in conflict), registered in Bremen, Germany.

While in passage from Bremen, Germany to New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A, was run ashore during a hurricane, having had all her sails, except the foresail, blown from the yards, on March 12th 1859.

The original record of this incident states it took place at "Sconsburg Creek", "near Fitful Head. No such place name exists in that vicinity, and modern record keepers suggest that "Sconsburg Creek" may be equated with the Bay of Scousburgh. In the opinion of the author, based on local knowledge, this suggestion is very probably correct, as it ties in with local tradition on several points of detail.

The vessel is recorded as having grounded on a sandy bottom, and all of her crew were saved. This ties in with the local tradition of a ship coming ashore and grounding in the shallows off the east end of the Scousburgh Sand. Initially she is recorded as being waterlogged and making a considerable amount of water, being hogged in on one of her sides, and expected to become a total wreck due to her location being exposed to the westward. What of her could be dismantled along with salvagable stores from her was taken ashore on the basis of this likely outcome, and subsequently sold.

However by July of the same year efforts had been made refloat and salvage her, which, upon the removal of her ballast had succeeded, and she is recorded as being afloat and at anchor, with one pump managing to keep her dry by either July 11th or 23rd (the available records are in dispute), with plans to tow her to either Aberdeen, Scotland or Peterhead, Scotland for breaking up. It would appear Peterhead, Scotland was eventually chosen as the location for this.

While it is not clear from the records as they stand, it is possible from how they are worded that the different dates given for refloating have come about by one quoting the actual date refloating occured, and the other quoting the date of her departure under tow.

Local tradition also records that the vessel in question was refloated after having her ballast discharged, and, it is said, that dependant upon actual sand levels stretching an adequate distance out underwater from the east end at the Scousburgh Sand at the site of grounding, that on clear sunny days from vantage points higher up the hill to the east, the clumps of dark coloured kelp growing on the seabed, and clearly visible through the water, in stark contrast to the white sandy bottom seen surrounding them, is doing so on the discharged ballast stones still lying on the seabed where they were dumped.