1698–1711 · Shetland, United Kingdom
De Liefde
De Liefde was the third ship of the Dutch East India Company to carry the name, and both earlier holders of it had also been wrecked, one off Japan in 1600. Built for the company in 1698, the armed wooden sailing ship left the Dutch coast in 1711 bound for Batavia with soldiers, stores and a heavy general cargo.
With the War of Spanish Succession making the Channel dangerous, her convoy took the northern route round Scotland, and off Shetland a violent storm scattered it. She was driven onto the Out Skerries and broke up quickly, and how it happened is unclear.
Navy divers found the site again in 1964, and later salvors working under a Dutch licence used small charges to free coins from the concretion, raising an unbroken chest and thousands of silver pieces with some gold ducats.
- Year built
- 1698
- Lost
- 1711
- Depth
- 7–25 m
- Location
- Shetland, United KingdomNorth Sea
Deeper than 67 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1711 · Shetland, United Kingdom.
Commanded by Barent Meikens, with some 200 seamen and 100 Dutch soldiers aboard, she set out on 3 November 1711 in company with the smaller Mossel and Kockenge, joining a larger convoy in the North Sea. Seven ships of the fleet appear to have been lost in the storm off Shetland. Only one man from De Liefde survived; she struck at Dregging Geo, Mio Ness, on 7 November.
Built 1698; 13 years in service. Lost 1711.
Condition of the Wreckin 7–25 m.
Intactness
Her remains lie at Dregging Geo in seabed depths from 7 to 25 metres, bound in concretion from which salvors freed coins with small charges. Small numbers of coins are still recovered. Reports of further wreckage in deeper water offshore remain uncertain.
Notable Features
- Concreted remains holding coins
Regulations and RestrictionsPermit required.
A permit is required to dive this site.
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.3° | 7.6° | 7.3° | 7.7° | 8.8° | 10.6° | 12.4° | 12.8° | 12.2° | 11.4° | 10.4° | 9.2° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- Dutch
- Flag
- Netherlands
- Loss date
- 1711
- Latitude
- 60.4106° N
- Longitude
- 0.7956° W
- Water body
- North Sea
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- Yes
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record6 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record3 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source10 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
- 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 De Liefde?
De Liefde is the wreck of a ship, off Shetland, United Kingdom, at 25 metres. De Liefde was lost in 1711.
How deep is the De Liefde?
De Liefde lies at 7 to 25 metres, North Sea, Shetland.
How did the De Liefde sink?
The cause of the loss of De Liefde is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1711.