Motor ship · 1962–1976 · Shetland, United Kingdom
Goodwill Merchant
Brian Jones, winchman on a British Airways helicopter flown by Captain Steve Jowett, lifted every member of the Goodwill Merchant's crew off her as she lay on the rocks at Ness of Ireland, on Shetland's western shore.
Built at Westerbroek in 1962, the motor coaster was carrying general cargo from Grangemouth to Lerwick under Captain T Fekkes when she went aground in calm weather, but her radio call placed her on Fair Isle. That vague report sent the Lerwick lifeboat on a six-hour search before daylight showed where she was. Nobody was injured, though her captain was treated for shock.
Later that day she slid off the rocks until only her mast showed, and her cargo, which included cars, was beyond saving. Her exposed position soon broke her apart; her bell, raised in later years, is held by the Shetland Museum, and her remains are scattered down a steep rocky slope.
- Type
- Motor ship
- Year built
- 1962
- Lost
- 1976
- Length
- 59.7 m10.4 m beam
- Location
- Shetland, United KingdomAtlantic Ocean
History and LossLost 1976 · Shetland, United Kingdom.
At 03.26am on 18 January 1976 Wick Radio heard her distress call, which gave her position as aground on the western side of Fair Isle. Within a quarter of an hour the Lerwick lifeboat had set out, and the Fair Isle Rescue Brigade was called. By 10.35am the helicopter had lifted all eight crew clear, landing at Sumburgh shortly afterwards.
Built 1962; 14 years in service. Lost 1976.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
Nothing of her survives whole: the wreckage lies broken on a steep rock slope off Ness of Ireland.
Notable Features
- Mast
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.2° | 7.4° | 7.1° | 7.4° | 8.7° | 10.5° | 12.2° | 12.7° | 12.1° | 11.3° | 10.3° | 9.1° |
Additional Details8 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Propulsion
- Diesel
- Loss date
- 1976
- Latitude
- 59.9938° N
- Longitude
- 1.3453° W
- Water body
- Atlantic Ocean
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record5 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 source7 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 5 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 Goodwill Merchant?
Goodwill Merchant is the wreck of a motor ship, off Shetland, United Kingdom. Goodwill Merchant was lost in 1976.
How did the Goodwill Merchant sink?
The cause of the loss of Goodwill Merchant is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1976.