Maritime Note
- Herzogin Cecile grounds on Ham Stone Rock (25 Apr 1935)
Herzogin Cecile With Sven Erikson as her captain and Elis Karlsson her first mate, the ship left Port Lincoln in South Australia on 21 January 1935, with a cargo of wheat, and after taking a more southerly route than usual, reached Falmouth for orders on 18 May making her passage of 86 days the second fastest ever. Herzogin Cecile was making for Ipswich in dense fog, when, on 25 April 1936, she grounded on Ham Stone Rock and drifted onto the cliffs of Bolt Head on the south Devon coast. After parts of the cargo were unloaded, she was floating again, only to be towed in June 1936 to Starhole (Starehole) Bay at the mouth of the nearby Kingsbridge Estuary near Salcombe, and beached there. On 18 January 1939, the ship capsized and sank. The remains of the ship sit at a depth of 7 metres at 50°12.82′N 3°47.02′W.
You can read a comprehensive article about this event on Wikipedia. Devon Live also has a very good article published about the event.
Ken Stephens wrote a now-famous song about this vessel. It has been covered and recorded by an overwhelming number of contemporary maritime musical acts. Here are the lyrics on Mudcat Café.
Musical Acts
- Dean
- 2023/12/22
The Dogwatch Nautical Band
- tonygoodenough@hotmail.com
- 2025/04/12
The Monkeyfists
- Dean
- 2025/05/05
Bilgewater
- tonygoodenough@hotmail.com
- 2025/09/10
Woodbury Whalers
- tonygoodenough@hotmail.com
- 2025/09/04
Reiver’s Gallows
Venues and Events
- Dean
- 2024/02/03
URI Sea Shanty Social Club
- Dean
- 2022/10/06
National Museum of the American Sailor
- tonygoodenough@hotmail.com
- 2026/03/25
Printemps de Bateliers
- Dean
- 2024/10/13
Risør Wooden Boat Festival
- Dean
- 2022/08/23