Steamship · lost 1907 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Portland
The enquiry into the loss of the Portland laid the main blame on her own master, Captain Robert Jamieson, who turned to starboard after the oncoming steamer Welshman had already signalled a turn to port; the Welshman's master was also faulted for keeping up full speed after hearing a whistle in the fog.
The iron steamship, built at Dundee by W B Thompson & Co Ltd for the Clyde Shipping Co, had left Greenock in hazy weather for Belfast and London with general cargo. Near the Cloch Lighthouse the Welshman struck her port side just aft of the bridge. Badly damaged herself, the Welshman stood by her, and the Portland went down a quarter of an hour after the impact.
Her wreck lies north of the Cloch, reasonably intact and rising a few metres above the seabed.
- Type
- Steamship
- Lost
- 1907Collision
- Depth
- 84 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 176 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1907 · Collision · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
She left Glasgow at 6pm on 5th December 1907 under Captain Robert Jamieson with a crew of twenty-five, waited out heavy fog at Greenock and sailed again at 0:45am at half speed, a lookout posted at the bow. The Welshman, bound from Belfast with limestone, tore a huge hole in her side and broke her own stem in the collision. The Portland sank fifteen minutes later, taking with her the stoker Mobin Moonie.
Lost 1907, collision.
Condition of the WreckIntact.
Intactness
Her 75-metre hull rests in 84 metres of water some 1.4 km north of the Cloch, aligned 070°/250°. She is in reasonable condition, standing about 7 to 8 metres proud of the bottom.
Notable Features
- Cargo remains
- Triple expansion engine
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.1° | 7.1° | 7° | 8.1° | 9.9° | 12° | 13.9° | 14.6° | 13.8° | 12.4° | 11.1° | 9.6° |
Additional Details10 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Builder
- W B Thompson & Co Ltd
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1907
- Latitude
- 55.9549° N
- Longitude
- 4.8795° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Intact
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 record2 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source9 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 4 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 Portland?
Portland is the wreck of a steamship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 84 metres. Portland sank after a collision in 1907.
How deep is the Portland?
Portland lies at approximately 84 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Portland sink?
Portland sank after a collision on 1907, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.