HMS Wave-Wescott Quay,St Ives Bay, Cornwall UK
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MoreOutdoor
N 50° 12.705 W 005° 28.721
30U E 323150 N 5565114
In the early hours of the 30th September HMS Wave broke its moorings during a storm
Waymark Code: WM10XFX
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/06/2019
Views: 2
The majority of all shipwrecks are caused by ships vessels running aground on rocks, mostly during storms.
St Ives bay with some 3 miles of golden sands and in all probability, with the inshore sea bed, being very sandy, would not be a good place to drop anchor during a sever storm. Which is probably why many ships which came into the bay for shelter have ended up on the rugged rock of the Cornish Coast.
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HMS Wave was no exception, anchored near to the harbour off St Ives.
The official report suggests " the anchor chain parted" however...
She ran aground and was badly damaged...
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Built in 1924, HMS Wave was an Algerine class fleet minesweeper on Fishery Protection Service when she anchored close to St Ives on
30 September 1952. Her anchor chain parted in a force 7 to 8 gale early next morning and she was driven ashore. She was winched off by the boom defence ships Barbary and Barbastel which were moored at Smeaton's Pier on 2 October. Her hull is stained with fuel oil which escaped when she was holed on the rocks. She was repaired with timber and cement patches before being towed to Devonport by the tug on Tuesday 7 October.
http//www.penleehouse.org.uk/collections/item/PEZPH:2001.120.138
She was eventually scrapped.
Pathe news covered the event at the time
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