Shipwrecks - Mooirchooraghyn

The spectacular sea conditions in the Sound are one of the attractions for visitors to this area. And yet these dangerous, powerful waters, combined with gales or fog, have been the cause of shipwrecks over the centuries with many lives lost. Nowadays the area is served by RNLI crews in Port St Mary and Port Erin, and by the Coastguard.

Lily

In December 1852, the 160-ton brig Lily of Liverpool lost some of her sails during hurricane conditions and despite trying to drop anchor was drawn into the Sound. Loaded with firearms, cannon, cotton goods, rum and 60 tons of gunpowder destined for the west coast of Africa, the Lily ran aground on rocks near Kitterland. Of the thirteen crewmembers, the ship’s carpenter was killed on impact and the captain and five others were washed away. The remainder were rescued and taken to Port St Mary.

Days later during the salvage operations, smoke was noticed coming from one of the hatch covers. In order to pour water down into the hold a hole was to be cut through the deck. As the axe cut the deck, the gunpowder ignited, causing an explosion which was heard and felt over twenty miles away. 29 members of the salvage crew were killed with only one survivor. In 1994 a memorial stone was laid at the Sound, close to the site of the wreck.

Jeune St. Charles

In 1858, the 69-ton French Schooner Jeune St. Charles was drawn into the Sound by the currents during a gale. Despite the crew’s best efforts to escape in the ship’s boat, both the ship and the small boat struck Thousla Rock at the western end of the Sound.

Boats manned by volunteers were sent from Port St. Mary in order to rescue the crew trapped on Thousla. All except the two ship’s boys were saved.

The Thousla Cross, which can be seen to the south of the car park, was originally erected on Thousla Rock to commemorate the heroism of local men in rescuing the crew.

Clan McMaster

The Clan McMaster, a cargo vessel of 6,563 tons, was wrecked in the Sound on 30th September 1923 on her way from Glasgow to Liverpool, ultimately heading for the Far East. She was part-loaded with heavy and light machinery, sewing machines, cotton goods, and 2,000 tons of coal.

In dense fog, the ship was caught in the currents and driven onto the rocks in Blind Sound - the area between Thousla Rock and the Calf. All 80 crewmembers were able to reach the safety of the Calf.

On returning to the ship the next day, the crew realised that much of the movable property (including the sewing machines) had already been taken. On the arrival of the Liverpool salvage ship Ranger, it was possible to rescue some of the light goods from the hold, however, the ship was settling even deeper into the water. The ship became a total loss and within a year the Clan McMaster had disappeared into the sea where its wreckage, engines and boilers still lie, a home to marine life and an exciting dive site.

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