 The propeller fromMaine at Kingsteignton, Devon. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |  Liverpool,United Kingdom |
| Launched | 19 November 1904 |
| Completed | January 1904 |
| Out of service | 23 March 1917 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamship |
| Tonnage | 3,616 GRT, 2,338 NRT |
| Length | 361 feet (110.03 m) |
| Beam | 46 feet 2 inches (14.07 m) |
| Installed power | Triple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion | Single screw propeller |
| Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h) |
Maine was a Britishsteamship launched in 1904 asSierra Blanca for the Sierra Shipping Co. Ltd. She was sold to the Atlantic Transport Co. Ltd. in 1913 and renamedMaine. She wastorpedoed and sunk in March 1917 byUC-17.
The ship was 361 feet (110.03 m) long, with a beam of 46 feet 2 inches (14.07 m). She was powered by atriple expansion steam engine which drove a single screw propeller. It could propel her at 13 knots (24 km/h).[1]
Sierra Blanca was built by D. & W. Henderson & Co.,Glasgow for the Sierra Shipping Co. Ltd. She was launched on 19 November 1904 and completed in January 1905. Her port of registry wasLiverpool and she was operated under the management of Thomson, Anderson & Co.[1] Her maiden voyage was toMobile, Alabama, United States, at which port she arrived on 26 January 1905.[2] On 26 July 1908,Sierra Blanca ran aground on the South Lyconia Reef. She was refloated after jettisoning 300 tons of cargo and put in toManila,Philippines in a severely damaged condition on 31 July.[3]
In 1913,Sierra Blanca was sold to the Atlantic Transport Co. Ltd. and was renamedMaine.[1] On 23 March 1917,Maine wastorpedoed and sunk in theEnglish Channel 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km) offBerry Head,Devon (50°12′N3°52′W / 50.200°N 3.867°W /50.200; -3.867) byUC-17.[4]Maine was on a voyage fromLondon toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[1] There were no casualties. She was carryingchalk and general cargo.[4] She sank "gracefully, upright and on an even keel"[citation needed] and sits on shingle 36 metres (118 ft) deep at50°12.750′N3°50.955′W / 50.212500°N 3.849250°W /50.212500; -3.849250.
The TorbayBritish Sub-Aqua Club bought the wreck for £100 in 1962 and salvaged the bronze propeller, selling it for £800.[citation needed]
The propeller was proudly displayed on a plinth outside the Safeway supermarket inPaignton town centre, until the redevelopment of the site in the early 2000s. The propeller was being sold for scrap,[citation needed] but was rescued by a farmer and now is in a field inKingsteignton.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1908 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1917 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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