1870–1893 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Louise
Her hatches could not be closed, and that decided the fate of the Louise: the casks of tar and ammoniacal liquor loaded at Rothesay stood too high in the hold for the covers to go on. The small iron steam lighter, launched at Maryhill in Glasgow in 1870, had spent her working life moving cargo around the upper Clyde for the Hay brothers.
Bound for Falkirk under her master, John Steel, she met rough water as she cleared Bogany Point, and while turning back for shelter she was struck broadside by heavy seas that filled the open hold. She went down by the stern, pulling under the lifeboat she towed, and Steel came through by holding on to a floating hatch cover.
Her remains lie low on a sandy slope off the point, her boiler the highest part and the rest of the hull silted and breaking up.
- Year built
- 1870
- Lost
- 1893
- Depth
- 43 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 139 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1893 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
She left Rothesay on the morning of 3 February 1893 with two crew and sixty-three tons of casks. As she turned to port, a large wave pushed her port gunwale under. Her master and crew leapt into the towed lifeboat, but she sank before they could untie the painter, taking the lifeboat and both crewmen with her.
Built 1870; 23 years in service. Lost 1893.
Condition of the Wreck
Intactness
She rests roughly parallel to the shore with her bow to the north, rising only two metres above the seabed.
Notable Features
- Boilers
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.3° | 7.3° | 7.1° | 8.2° | 10° | 12.1° | 14° | 14.6° | 13.8° | 12.5° | 11.2° | 9.7° |
Additional Details7 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Loss date
- 1893
- Latitude
- 55.8474° N
- Longitude
- 5.0211° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- 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 source8 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 Louise?
Louise is the wreck of a ship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 43 metres. Louise was lost in 1893.
How deep is the Louise?
Louise lies at approximately 43 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Louise sink?
The cause of the loss of Louise is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1893.