Irish Wrecks On-Line - Upas SS (No. 980)

*Vessel Type:*	Steam Coaster	*Location:*	Co. Down
*Date of Loss:*	18th March 1915	*Place:*	Burial Island
*Cause of Loss:*	Sank in storm	*Boat Dive from:*	Ballyhalbert
*Charted Depth:*	22m	*Irish O.S. Map:*	Discovery Series No. 21
*Height of Wreck:*	Broken up	*Admiralty Chart No:*	2156
*Hull Material:*	Steel/Iron	*Latitude (GPS):*	54 28.795 North
*Type of Seabed:*	Sand	*Longitude (GPS):*	05 24.991 West
*Average Visibility:*	5 - 10m	*Diving Experience:*	Experienced

Picture available?

Yes - Image - click here

Diving Information:

Hulk is still there, sitting upright, but badly broken up.
Lies quite close inshore in Butterlump (local name Ballyfrench Bay.)
Dive at slack water.

Historical Information:

Built 1913 by J. Fullerton Ltd, Paisley, for Joseph Fisher & Sons Ltd, Newry, she measured 168 x 25.5 x 10ft , trials speed 12 knots, grossed 470 tons.
While on route from Ayr to Warrenpoint with coal in a snowstorm her cargo shifted while maneuvering and she capsized.
Six out of 8 crew drowned.
Occupants scrambled into port lifeboat only to be tipped into freezing water.
The two who survived were Samuel Hanna and James McShane, who were hauled to safety by a Belfast collier "Ailsa Craig", which had arrived on the scene, and later transferred them to the Donaghadee lifeboat, after they witnessed the "Upas" go down.
Captain McFerran was last seen standing high up on the tilting super-structure beside one of the useless starboard lifeboats.

Source Publications:

"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 1582 - 2000"

by
Edward J. Bourke

Edward J. Bourke 2000 - ISBN: 0952302721

"Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast"

by
Ian Wilson

Impact Printing 1997 - ISBN: 0948154993

Other Sources:

Vic Foster

-
Castlereagh SAC (1996)

Last update - 18-Jan-2005