Cargo vessel · 1909–1910 · Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
SS Dalserf
Also known as Dalserf.
Grassholm is best known for its 36,000 pairs of nesting gannets — the third-largest colony in the world — but beneath the waves on the island's south-eastern flank lies the Dalserf, a Cardiff coal carrier that struck the rocks in July 1910. All 27 crew survived, though the ship did not.
Salvors stripped her of non-ferrous metals long ago, but the triple-expansion engine with its distinctive three-cylinder arrangement and the boiler still mark the centre of the site at around 20 metres.
- Type
- Cargo vesselBritish
- Year built
- 1909Richardson, Duck & Co, Stockton on Tees
- Lost
- July 1910Grounding
- Casualties
- 0
- Tonnage
- 1,849 GRTsteam
- Length
- 79.2 m12.2 m beam
- Depth
- 17–23 m
- Location
- Pembrokeshire, United KingdomCeltic Sea
1 of 8 facts above is cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 63 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost July 1910 · Grounding · Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom.
Struck rocks at Grassholm island while carrying coal from Cardiff to Venice. Total loss. All 27 crew rescued.
Built 1909 by Richardson, Duck & Co, Stockton on Tees; 1 years in service, also recorded as Dalserf. Lost July 1910, grounding.
The Voyage
- Cargo
- Coal from Cardiff to Venice
Condition of the WreckBroken, in 17–23 m.
Intactness
Extensively salvaged. Boiler and prop shaft still in situ. Triple-expansion engines with three cylinders (20", 33", 54") and two steel boilers at 180 lbs pressure.
Notable Features
- Triple-expansion engine with three cylinders
- Boiler and prop shaft in situ
- Adjacent to major gannet colony
- Offshore island setting
Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Builder
- Richardson, Duck & Co, Stockton on Tees
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- July 1910
- Latitude
- 51.73° N
- Longitude
- 5.48° W
- Water body
- Celtic Sea
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Broken
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record6 facts
- museum.walesmuseum.wales · Secondary source2 facts
- Cofleincoflein.gov.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- Greatest Dive Sitesunited-kingdom.greatestdivesites.com · Secondary source1 fact
- pembrokeshirecoast.walespembrokeshirecoast.wales · Secondary source1 fact
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
A further 3 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 SS Dalserf?
SS Dalserf is the wreck of a cargo vessel, off Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom, at 23 metres. SS Dalserf ran aground and was wrecked in 1910.
How deep is the SS Dalserf?
SS Dalserf lies at 17 to 23 metres, 150m south of East Trump, Grassholm, ~10 miles offshore Pembrokeshire.
How did the SS Dalserf sink?
SS Dalserf ran aground and was wrecked on July 1910, off Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom. No lives were lost.