Barque · 1892–1924 · Shetland, United Kingdom

Bohus

The figurehead known on Yell as the White Wife came ashore months after the Bohus was lost, and islanders set her on the headland above the wreck as a memorial; restored and long repainted by East Yell folk, she was later moved to the Old Haa Museum at Burravoe.

Built at Alloa in 1892 by Grangemouth Dockyard Co. as the Bertha, the iron barque was serving as a German sail training ship when she left Gothenburg in ballast for Chile in 1924 with a crew made up largely of cadets, plus a stowaway. A navigational error put her far off course, and in a storm she was driven broadside onto the Ness of Queyon and broke up.

Local men got a line aboard and brought many ashore, but four died, among them the cadet Josef Anton Eberth after he had saved four shipmates. Iron ribs, winches and an anchor lie scattered in the shallows.

Type
BarqueGerman
Year built
1892Grangemouth Dockyard Co., Alloa
Lost
1924Grounding
Casualties
4
Depth
15 m
Location
Shetland, United KingdomNorth Sea

Deeper than 33 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.

History and LossLost 1924 · Grounding · Shetland, United Kingdom.

She sailed from Gothenburg on 23 April 1924 under Captain Hugo Ferdinand Blume, bound for Taltal to load sulphate, with twenty cadets among her crew of thirty-eight. Navigating by dead reckoning in thick haze, Blume mistook the Out Skerries light and she ran into a storm off Otterswick, driven broadside onto the rocks on 26 April. Most of her broke up within half an hour.

Willie Thomson threw a line aboard from the rocks, and the dead were buried in Mid Yell.

Built 1892 by Grangemouth Dockyard Co., Alloa; 32 years in service. Lost 1924, grounding.

4lives lost on 1924.

Condition of the WreckBroken.

Intactness

Nothing of her hull holds together. At the Ness of Queyon, off Otterswick, her remains include iron framing ribs, winches from her deck, timber spars and fittings of brass.

Notable Features

  • Anchor
  • Cargo remains
  • Winch

Sea-Surface Temperature by Month

Sea-surface temperature at the position of Bohus, by month. Monthly mean sea-surface temperature at the wreck's position, 2015–2024 (NOAA JPL MUR SST v4.1).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Surface temp8.3°7.6°7.4°7.7°8.8°10.5°12.3°12.7°12.2°11.3°10.3°9.2°

Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.

Nationality
German
Flag
Germany
Builder
Grangemouth Dockyard Co., Alloa
Propulsion
Sail
Loss date
1924
Latitude
60.5477° N
Longitude
1.0229° W
Water body
North Sea
War grave
No
Protected
No
Permit required
No
Condition
Broken

Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.

  • Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
  • JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04

A further 6 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.

Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Bohus?

Bohus is the wreck of a barque, off Shetland, United Kingdom, at 15 metres. Bohus ran aground and was wrecked in 1924.

How deep is the Bohus?

Bohus lies at approximately 15 metres, North Sea, Shetland.

How did the Bohus sink?

Bohus ran aground and was wrecked on 1924, off Shetland, United Kingdom. 4 people lost their lives.