The Royal George built at Woolwich Dockyard in 1756 a 100 gun first rate ship of the line was lying off on anchorage at Spithead on the morning of the 29th August 1782, having some need for some minor repairs to a deck pump intake and no time for dry dock.

Captain Waghorn ordered for her to be initially heeled over to a 7 degree angle in order to get to the intake of the deck pump which was 3 feet below the water line.

Heeling Over ( or Careening)

The normal technique or practice for heeling over or careening a vessel when at sea was by using another vessel as a lever;  whereby lines (halyard) would be lashed between the deck of the supporting vessel and the topmast of the vessel requiring the repair and then slowly tensioned, thus pulling the vessel over so caulking, scraping or repairs could be undertaken. If necessary to right the vessel in a hurry all that was needed to be done was to cut the lines and up she would spring. However, Captain Waghorn for some reason it is assumed to aid to the speed of the repair ordered that the larboard guns be run out and the starboard guns moved into the centre of the ship, thus making the ship heel over and obvioulsy very unstable with the water lapping just under at the lower open gun ports.

The examples above demonstrates how the procedure would have been undertaken in a naval yard or beach but with the vessel semi still afloat.

The Royal George - Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 262, March, 1872.Harpers Engraving 

Way too far !

Disaster then struck slowly but very effectively  as when the supply vessel the Lark came alongside to transfer some further cargo, the weight of the men and cargo forced the ship to heel further over and water began to run in through the now semi submerged lower gun ports. Slowly at first, but then faster and faster she began to take water into the hold, even then they had time to correct as the ships carpenter had seen the problem and reported it to the officer of the watch who dismissed it out of hand. Then to add to the issue a wind suddenly got up and began pushing the vessel further over thereby speeding the whole process up so much so that there was now not even enough time to fly a distress signal.

Suddenly 900 souls were in mortal danger; many were women and children visiting their loved ones being aportioned at 300 women and 60 children. Panic ensued and people tried desperatly to get out, climbing the rigging and falling and drowing in the cold waters. Only 230 were lucky as many did not know how to swim and perished in the cold waters, sadly many were trapped inside as she went down unable to find their way out; even the Commander Rear-Admiral Richard Kempenfelt who was said to be writing in his cabin became trapped as his cabin doors jammed and subsequently went down with the ship.

The subsequent court martial was by all accounts a cover up and failed to attribute the blame and instead cleared the both the admiral and the captain and his officers and crew (many of whom had perished), blaming the accident on the 'general state of decay of her timbers.'

Remembrance Gardens

Many of the victims were washed ashore at Ryde, where they were buried in mass graves along the foreshore; today two gardens of remembrance mark the spot with a rather nice memorial alerting people to one of the worst maritime disasters in the UK’s naval history.