Maritime record MWX5040 - Eliza 1861

Pilot cutter that ran aground at St Aldhelm's Head in 1861.

On the morning of February 6th, 1861, the Eliza, a pilot cutter based at Cowes, Isle of Wight, had taken a Channel pilot out to board the Bremen, a steamer on the final leg of her voyage from New York to Southampton. The steamer was met to the south-west of St Alban's Head, and once the pilot was onboard, the two remaining men in the cutter started their journey back to Cowes. Unfortunately the two men tacked their vessel too close to St Alban's Head, and the light south-westerly breeze dropped away. Except for a large swell from the south the sea fell dead calm. The swell started to carry the cutter towards the headland, and realising the danger they had put the vessel in, the two men launched the cutter's boat. Taking a line from the cutter's bow, they attempted to tow the vessel further out to sea, it was too late. The swell combined with the strong current proved too much to row against and the cutter ended up on the rocks with her bottom ripped out in minutes. The two men were unable to find a safe landing place to come ashore, but luckily were spotted by the crew of a Coastguard cutter which was close by. Once picked up they were taken back to Cowes, to face the daunting task of explaining to their superior officer what had happened to their vessel. Within two days the Eliza had completely gone to pieces. (1,2) The building date for this vessel is an estimate based on an average age at wrecking of twenty years. This average is derived from those vessels wrecked on the Dorset coast whose age at wrecking is known.

Record last edited

May 6 2004 11:27AM