Title
Pindos, German barque wrecked at Chynhalls, 1912
Subject
Shipwreck
Description
The Pindos launched in June 1890 by Williamson of Workington as the Eusemere, was a steel, four-masted barque of 2,354 tons net and 2,512 gross, built for the firm of Fisher & Sprott of London.
In 1896 she was sold to B. Wencke & Company of Hamburg and her new owners seemed able to bring out her finer sailing qualities.
She left Hamburg for Port Talbot in late February 1911 and loaded coal brickets for Mejillones, on the west coast of South America. The weather was so bad that she took six weeks to round Cape Horn, and later was almost wrecked at Taltal. At Mejillones, she discharged and loaded nitrates and sails for Falmouth, arriving on February 1st 1912.
As an example of German Discipline, the first mate ordered four men aloft to scrape and varnish the main royal yard as she entered harbour, despite the fact that it was snowy hard. She lay at Falmouth until February 10th, when she left for Hamburg to discharge in tow of the German tug Ancona. But they had hardly got out into Falmouth bay than the strong southeasterly wind refreshed and backed. Both ships were gradually forced backwards down the coast, and despite all the tugs efforts at 9 pm the Pindos was carried broadside on to Chynhalls Point, less than half a mile from Coverack Village.
The tug captain held her head to sea for some time to stop her broaching, but was eventually force to slip the hawser. Meanwhile the Coverack lifeboat had putt off, and aided by the glare of newly provided acetylene searchlights, rescued the Germans by breeches-buoy from the waveswept and listing poop deck.
On February 20th, the Pindos, together with her gear and stores, was sold for £225, but later gales soon reduced her to pieces. Over the years salvage has been carried out, but parts of her masts, rigging, plates and keel still lie on the seaward side of the Chynhalls.
Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1917), p. 99-100.
In 1896 she was sold to B. Wencke & Company of Hamburg and her new owners seemed able to bring out her finer sailing qualities.
She left Hamburg for Port Talbot in late February 1911 and loaded coal brickets for Mejillones, on the west coast of South America. The weather was so bad that she took six weeks to round Cape Horn, and later was almost wrecked at Taltal. At Mejillones, she discharged and loaded nitrates and sails for Falmouth, arriving on February 1st 1912.
As an example of German Discipline, the first mate ordered four men aloft to scrape and varnish the main royal yard as she entered harbour, despite the fact that it was snowy hard. She lay at Falmouth until February 10th, when she left for Hamburg to discharge in tow of the German tug Ancona. But they had hardly got out into Falmouth bay than the strong southeasterly wind refreshed and backed. Both ships were gradually forced backwards down the coast, and despite all the tugs efforts at 9 pm the Pindos was carried broadside on to Chynhalls Point, less than half a mile from Coverack Village.
The tug captain held her head to sea for some time to stop her broaching, but was eventually force to slip the hawser. Meanwhile the Coverack lifeboat had putt off, and aided by the glare of newly provided acetylene searchlights, rescued the Germans by breeches-buoy from the waveswept and listing poop deck.
On February 20th, the Pindos, together with her gear and stores, was sold for £225, but later gales soon reduced her to pieces. Over the years salvage has been carried out, but parts of her masts, rigging, plates and keel still lie on the seaward side of the Chynhalls.
Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1917), p. 99-100.
Creator
Gibson
Date
1912-02-10
Rights
Morrab library
Format
Print
Identifier
RGN.098
Coverage
Coverack
Physical Dimensions
8" x 11"