Maritime record MWX5230 - Zouave

A small fishing that sank off St Aldhelm's Head in 1866.

The notorious race south of St Alban's Head proved too powerful for the small fishing smack Zouave, of Cowes. Sailing from Portland in the early hours of Tuesday, 6th March 1866, her crew were taking her back to the Isle of Wight. At 5.30 a.m. they were in a position 5 miles south of St Alban's Head when she was struck by a succession of large waves as she entered the race. The smack sprung a leak and quickly became totally unmanageable, and by the time the crew had launched themselves away from the vessel the sea was level with the cabin. They pulled for the land to the north, watching the smack sink 15 minutes after they had abandoned her. They eventually arrived in an exhausted state in Chapman's Pool, where they were looked after by the local fishermen. (1) 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

Jan 15 2008 2:21AM