Wreck of the Thornliebank

 

Thornliebank. built in glasgow in 1898 and wrecked on the crim here at Scilly in 1913.

Her skipper was lost and thought he was off the french coast. Then he sighted the red light of Round Island lighthouse and became confused. His dead reckoning of his position was miles out. His ship then rumbled onto the Crim and was lost. He later learned from those whom saved the crew where he had  become wrecked. He then wrote how Scilly was a good place to loose your ship as his treatment by the locals had been so good.

This is one of those wreck sites that I had to illiminate from my ongoing search for where the wreck of HMS Romney lies. There are various places the Romney could be and one of those is somewhere around the Crim reef. Thus I often find myself searching all around this reef for her.  I dived all the known sites at that reef to gain the positions of each. I magged and found the positions of the cannon site in 39 to 45m on the west side of Zantmans rock and the Sushannah in 30m on the north western side.  I then discovered the wreck of the Bassenthwaite off to the south east of the Crim in 30m. Somehow I felt proud  to have added my name to those privileged few who had actually discovered a wreck at this mysterious, treacherous, place.... the most western part of Scilly.  One day I was magging to the south of Zantmans when I had another hit to look at. I read that the Thornliebank was the other side of the rock so had to investigate to see what this hit was. Sadly the hit was not the Romney but the Thornliebank. (Mr Larns book was wrong again) This was years ago that I dropped straight onto her stern south east of Zantmans and after a short look around I found and recovered the brass boss to her helm above. (ships wheel). On surfacing I could see her name 'Thornliebank' embossed into the metal. Above is an image of it after I painted the letters back in. The finding of it just proves how little this wreck has been dived otherwise it would have been recovered long ago. I never went back but often think I should to see what else is about. Hopefully one day I may find the time but this isnt really my kind of wreck. Im into sites much older, preferably with lots of cannons laying about. Not sure who discovered this wreck but it was reported that someone raised her bell intact in 1988 ish