Alcester

The 1597-ton Alcester ran aground off the Atherfield Ledge in the afternoon of February 27 1897 when it was sailing from Calcutta to Hamburg with a load of jute in its hold. The fog was particularly deep at the time. Although the neighbouring lifeboat was deployed, Captain Haws denied aid because he was intending to re-float the vessel during the subsequent high tide. The next tide, however, was unable to re-float the vessel, so on Saturday a tug was hired to attempt to draw her free. However, as the weather continued to deteriorate, the many efforts to pull her free were unsuccessful, and the tug ultimately gave up and returned to port.

The lifeboat was launched once again, and this time it was accepted, and 20 men, in addition to an entourage that included a dog, cat, and monkey, as well as the crew’s belongings, were off loaded. In spite of warnings from the crew of the lifeboat, the ship’s captain and first mate refused to abandon ship, despite the fact that they were well aware of the severity of the storm that was approaching.

The storm then arrived in full force, and at around 9 o’clock in the evening, the captain sent out signals of distress to call for assistance. However, since the tide had risen, it was no longer able to deploy the lifeboat. After then, the Captain and the Mate had no choice but to scale the ship’s masts and rigging in order to find safety from the crashing waves that were occurring all around them.

The next morning, the lifeboat was able to launch and brought two men to safety; however, the Alcester broke her back the following Sunday, and everyone aboard were lost to the surrounding sea.

• http://backofthewight.co.uk/alcester.htm
• http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?14879

• Carisbrooke Castle Museum