Irish Wrecks On-Line - Quebra USS (No. 660)

Diving Information:

Lies at Lochar Rock, North side of Great Blasket, in a Westerly direction in a gully known as "Speir Cuas Faill Beag", in varying depths of 12 to 45m.
The site is relatively sheltered from most winds.
Covered in kelp.
Boilers still recognisable. Plates etc. lying in gullies. A recoil spring from a ships gun is still visible.
Warning!! - Don't touch the live shells lying around.

Historical Information:

Owned by Mercantile Steam Ship Co., built 1912 by W. Gray & Sons of West Hartlepool, she measured 377.5 x 53.5 x 25.4ft. and grossed 4,538 tons.
She was powered by triple-expansion engines, generating 394nhp.
Bound New York for Liverpool, the Quebra changed course to avoid a submarine after a sighting.
A mist descended in the night and she ran onto treacherous rocks and sank.
Cargo was meat, cotton, watches, flour, wire, brass sheeting/rods/bars and artillery shells.
Navy cleared most of the live shells in 1984-85.

Source Publications:

"Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam *1824 - 1962*"	by	Charles Hocking
		*London Stamp Exchange 1989 - ISBN: 0948130474*
*"Irish Wrecks Database"*	by	Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling
*"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"*	by	Richard & Bridget Larn
		*Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970*
*"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 932 - 1997"*	by	Dr. Edward J. Bourke
		*Edward J. Bourke 1998 - ISBN: 0952302713*
*"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 1105 – 1993"*	by	Dr. Edward J. Bourke
		*Edward J. Bourke 1994 - ISBN: 0952302705*
*"Underwater Ireland Guide to Irish Dive Sites"*	by	Irish Underwater Council
		*CFT 1999 - ISBN: 0948283025*

Other Sources:

Ralph McBride

Castlereagh SAC (1985)

Last update - 10-Feb-2006