 Scotia at Laurie Island, 1903 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | Jørgensen & Knudsen |
| Launched | 1872 |
| Out of service | 18 January 1916 |
| Fate | Caught fire and sank |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type |
|
| Tonnage | 375 GRT |
| Length | 139 feet 6 inches (42.5 m) |
| Beam | 28 feet 9 inches (8.8 m) |
| Depth | 15 feet 6 inches (4.7 m) |
| Installed power | Steam engine (1902–16) |
| Propulsion | Sails, later sails and screw propeller |
| Sail plan | Barque |
| Speed | 7 knots (13 km/h) |
Scotia was abarque that was built in 1872 as the NorwegianwhalerHekla. She was purchased in 1902 byWilliam Speirs Bruce and refitted as a research vessel for use by theScottish National Antarctic Expedition. After the expedition, she served as asealer,patrol vessel and collier. She was destroyed by fire in January 1916.
The ship was 139 feet 6 inches (42.5 m), with a beam of 28 feet 9 inches (8.8 m). She had a depth of 15 feet 6 inches (4.7 m). The ship was assessed at 375 GRT.[1]
Hekla was built as abarque in 1872 by Jørgensen & Knudsen,Drammen for S. S. Svendsen ofSandefjord.[1] She was used as asealer, making voyages to the east coast of Greenland from 1872 to 1882 and toScoresby Sound in 1892.[2] In 1896, she was sold to N. Bugge,Tønsberg. She was sold in 1898 to A/S Sæl- og Hvalfangerskib Hekla,Christiania and was placed under the management of M. C. Tvethe.Hekla was sold in 1900 to A/S Hecla, Sandefjord, operated under the management of Anders Marcussen.[1]
In 1902, she was purchased byWilliam Speirs Bruce forkr 45,000 (£2,650). She was renamedScotia and was rebuilt by theAilsa Shipbuilding Company for use as a research vessel by theScottish National Antarctic Expedition. The ship was strengthened internally, with beams 25 inches (640 mm) thick added to resist the pressure of ice whilst in the Antarctic.[1] A newsteam engine was fitted, which drove a single screw propeller. It could propel the vessel at 7 knots (13 km/h).[3] The work was supervised byFridtjof Nansen. When the conversion of the ship was complete, she was inspected byColin Archer, who had preparedFram forNansen's 1893 expedition to the Arctic.[1] Thomas Robertson was appointed captain ofScotia. He had twenty years' experience of sailing in theArctic andAntarctic on board thewhalersActive andBalaena. Sea trials of the rebuilt ship were conducted in August 1902.[4]
Scotia sailed on 2 November 1902 for the Antarctic. She arrived at theFalkland Islands on 6 January 1903,[5] She then sailed toLaurie Island,South Orkney Islands where she arrived on 25 March.Scotia overwintered inScotia Bay,[2] where she was frozen in for eight months.[6] She departed for the Falkland Islands on 27 November,[2] en route forBuenos Aires, Argentina where she underwent a refit.[7]Scotia returned to Laurie Island on 14 February 1904, sailing eight days later for theWeddell Sea. She departed from the Antarctic on 21 March.[2] Calling atSaint Helena in June,[8] she arrived atMillport, Cumbrae,Ayrshire on 21 July,[4] and was escorted by a number of ships to her final destination ofGourock,Renfrewshire.[9]
Following the expedition, it was planned thatScotia would see further use by the universities of Scotland as a research vessel. However, she was sold byauction in an effort to recoup some of the costs of the expedition.[1][10] She served as a sealer andwhaler until 1913, operating off the coast of Greenland.[2][11] Following the loss ofTitanic,[2] she was thenchartered by theBoard of Trade for use as aweather ship on theGrand Banks of Newfoundland, warning shipping oficebergs.[1][4][11] AMarconiwireless was installed to enable her to communicate with stations on the coast ofLabrador andNewfoundland.[12] Following this, she became acollier,[2] sailing between theUnited Kingdom and France. On 18 January 1916,[1] she caught fire and was burnt out in theBristol Channel offSully Island,Glamorgan.[11] Her crew survived.[1]
Scotia was depicted on a5/- stamp issued by theFalkland Islands.[1]She was also depicted on two stamps issued by theBritish Antarctic Territory.[2][11]
TheHekla Sound in northeast Greenland was named by the ill-fated 1906-1908Denmark expedition after this ship, referring to its original name.[13]
TheScotia Sea at the edge of the Antarctic, south of Chile and Argentina, is named after this ship. Several other features in the region are named for the ship including several ridges, undersea basins, and in particular the tectonicScotia Plate.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1916 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents | |
