SS Kintyre - Wemyss Bay
The Clyde wreck you can dive from the shore...
Wednesday 18th September 1907 wasn't to be Captain John MacKechnie's day when, at 11:45 am, his steamer the SS Kintyre got in the way of the SS Maori, which was undergoing trials in the Firth of Clyde. The Maori ploughed into Kintyre's starboard quarter, causing her to sink in just four minutes. McKechnie was hauled, exhausted from the water, but William Lennox, his Chief Engineer drowned.
After the impact MacKechnie had vainly steered the Kintyre towards the shore, which explains the wreck's final orientation. The bow rests at around 30m and the stern around 50m and can be a challenging dive for experienced divers.
To read an account of the sinking, click here >>
Tides
BBC Tide Tables for Wemyss Bay (Remember the times are GMT.)