Irish Wrecks On-Line - Archibald Finnie SS (No. 112)

*Vessel Type:*	Steam Coaster	*Location:*	Co. Down
*Date of Loss:*	26th July 1893	*Place:*	Ballyhalbert
*Cause of Loss:*	Collision	*Boat Dive from:*	Ballyhalbert
*Charted Depth:*	49m	*Irish O.S. Map:*	Discovery Series No. 21
*Height of Wreck:*	7m	*Admiralty Chart No:*	2156
*Hull Material:*	Iron & steel	*Latitude (GPS):*	54° 26' 47.4" North
*Type of Seabed:*	Mud	*Longitude (GPS):*	05° 22' 31.8" West
*Average Visibility:*	3 - 8m	*Convert Lat. & Long.* to -	Decimal - CLICK HERE
*Image available?*	Yes - see below	*Diving Experience:*	Experienced

Diving Information:

Still in one piece and sitting upright and flat.
Rudder and prop are still there and fully visible with the bow ‘dug in’ a little into the sea bed.
The wreck is covered in dead mans fingers.
The deck is partly eroded away with the steel beam supporting structure visible.
The fore ‘cabin’ is has gone but the remains of the steel structure of the aft cabin is still there.
The forward hold is full of mud, sloping to the starboard side, probably coal underneath.
Deep dive for the experienced. 42m to the deck - 49 to seabed.
Dive slack High Water Belfast.

Historical Information:

515-tons (Official No.97567), she was built and completed by Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley as Yard No.183 in June 1893 for A. Finnie & Son, Ardrossan.

Her dimensions of 175ft x 26ft.8in and she was powered by a single quadruple steam engine.

She was sunk in collision with the "S.S. Pearl" of Glasgow on 26 July 1893, off South Lightship, while on a voyage from Ardrossan to Dublin with coal.

She was only 1 month old!

Ships bell was recovered in 1990.

© Michael Montgomery, Castlereagh SAC

Illustrations supplied by Michael Montgomery

All external copyrights respectfully acknowledged

Other Sources:

*Michael Montgomery*	-	Castlereagh SAC (2006)
*Michael Hamilton*	-	Castlereagh SAC (1997)
*Cecil Scott*	-	North Down SAC (1994)

Last update - 27-Jun-2006