iolaire yacht

The Iolaire Centre

The iolaire disaster.

At 1.55am on 1st January 1919, a naval yacht carrying sailors home on leave rang aground on rocks near the village of Holm, a mere 20 yards from the shore of the Isle of Lewis and less than a mile from the safe harbour of Stornoway.

HMY Iolaire was crowded with 280 men, mostly naval reservists returning to the safety and comfort of their homes after the horrors of the Great War. On this dark night of winter a force ten gale was blowing from the south, hard onto the shore, and there was a heavy sea running.

Men drowned as they jumped or slid into the sea from the pitching ecks, were flung back into the angry foam from lifeboats awash and overloaded, were dashed against jagged rocks, or managed to swim and crawl ashore, only to die before they could reach shelter or aid.

By the time the first New Year’s Day of peacetime dawned, 201 men had lost their lives, 181 of them on the very shores of the island they called home.

“No one now alive in Lewis can ever forget the 1st January 1919, and future generations will speak of it as the blackest day in the history of the island, for on it 200 of our bravest and best perished on the very threshold of their homes under the most tragic circumstances. The terrible disaster at Holm on New Year’s morning has plunged every home and every heart in Lewis into grief unutterable. Language cannot express the desolation, the despair which this awful catastrophe has inflicted. One thinks of the wide circle of blood relations affected by the loss of even one of these gallant lads, and imagination sees those circles multiplied by the number of the dead, overlapping and overlapping each other till the whole island – every hearth and home in it – is shrouded in deepest gloom. All the island’s war losses in the past four cruel years – although these numbers fully four times the death roll of New Year’s Day morning – are not comparable to this unspeakable calamity. The black tragedy has not a redeeming feature.” William Grant, founder of the Stornoway Gazette, January 1919. Reprinted in the Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour, 1920.

Full excerpt taken from “The Darkest Dawn: The Story of the Iolaire Tragedy” by Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John MacLeod.

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In the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919 HMY ‘Iolaire’ struck rocks off Holm Point as the vessel approached Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis. Records in NRS provide evidence of the lives of many of the official total of 205 men who lost their lives in the wreck of the Iolaire on 1 January 1919, and the impact the tragedy had on the community of the Island of Lewis. Few families there did not experience the loss of relatives or friends among the 184 Lewis men who died, most of whom had served in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). The bereaved also included some of the 3,100 Lewis men who had served in the wartime RNR. Most of them survived to enjoy the peace, but some lost fathers, uncles, brothers or cousins on the Iolaire.

Biastan Holm (the Beast of Holm) rocks in the approach to Stornoway harbour, 1897. National Records of Scotland, IRS126/651

In December 1918 Iolaire was a lightly-armed steam-powered yacht in the Royal Navy’s Auxiliary Patrol force, based at Stornoway. It had been hired in 1915 by the Admiralty (pennant no. 065) to augment the thousands of small vessels that served in home and foreign waters. It was built as a private yacht in 1881 at Ramage and Ferguson’s shipyard in Leith. In November 1918 it was renamed Iolaire, having previously carried the name Amalthaea, and before that, Iolanthe and Mione.

The Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire under the name 'Amalthaea' Image credit: Ness Historical Society, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Among the scattered records in NRS that relate to the Iolaire disaster, the testaments and other sheriff court records provide precious evidence of individual circumstances, and highlight some of the social conditions on Lewis that shaped the lives of some of those who perished in the wreck. A little-known series of records shows how islanders appealed against conscription during the First World War.

Some islanders' stories

Details of inventory of estate of Donald Campbell, RNR, who died on the Iolaire. National Records of Scotland, SC25/44/31, p.685

Leading Seaman 2058/C Donald Campbell served in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), listed as on the strength of HMS Pembroke, the shore establishment. He was married to Catherine Campbell. Donald Campbell’s testament contains a revealing inventory listing his unpaid wages, the value of his possessions, the ‘war gratuity’ payable to his widow and the RNR gratuity for his service, a total of £133.7s.11d (equivalent to purchasing power of about £5,250 in 2018). His younger brother Alexander Campbell, who lived nearby at 8 Vatisker, also died in the disaster on 1 January 1919, aged 42, but his body was never recovered. He was a Leading Seaman, 2999/C, on HMS ‘Victory’, married to Jessie Graham.

Donald and Angus Campbell of Vatisker, Lewis. 'Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After' (Stornoway, 1920), pp.30-31. Images used under Creative Commons Attribution International License 4.0

Another of the dead was Angus Macdonald, who lived at 42 Leurbost, Lochs, Lewis, with his wife Mary. A Royal Naval Reservist, no 1830/D, nominally attached to HMS Imperieuse, a receiving ship from which personnel were posted. On his death at the age of 45, his Post Office savings account was found to be worth £402 (equivalent to purchasing power of about £18,600 in 2018).

Malcolm Martin, 21 Balallan, Lewis. 'Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After' (Stornoway, 1920), p.322. Image used under Creative Commons Attribution International License 4.0

In the pre-war years a labourer named Malcolm Martin left Lewis in search of a better life, eventually finding work as a shepherd at Punta Arenas in Southern Chile. Why he left is unclear, but in October 1906 he and another man were fined three guineas at Stornoway Sheriff Court for breach of the peace and malicious mischief. In a dispute possibly connected to elections to the Balallan School Board, they had hurled peats, smashed windows and broken into the schoolhouse, whose occupants they frightened. (British Newspaper Archive, ‘Inverness Courier’, 12 October 1906; petition for bail, 1906, NRS, SC33/37/1906/52 )

Martin was back home on a visit when war broke out in 1914. Unable to return to South America, he was living in his parents’ house at 21 Balallan and helping his father Donald’s croft. In 1916, like many other young men in the district, he appealed against conscription. He claimed that he had set himself up in South America with horses and land, and needed to return to look after them. Read about his appeal case in the ScotlandsPeople website.

After the local tribunal rejected his appeal Martin joined the Royal Naval Reserve. He is listed on the strength of HMS Pembroke, the shore establishment at Portsmouth, but like other RNR personnel from Lewis, probably served on auxiliary naval vessels. And like other Lewismen serving in the RNR, he boarded the Iolaire for the voyage home on 31 December 1918. He died in the wreck, and his body was buried at Laxey Cemetery, Lochs. His death is recorded both in the register for Stornoway registration district and the Extracts from Navy Returns of Deaths (Minor Records vol. 146 in ScotlandsPeople).

Register of Deaths, and detail of entry for Malcolm Martin, 1 January 1919 National Records of Scotland, Register of Deaths 1919, Stornoway District, 88/269

Commemorative painting of the Iolaire disaster in 1919

Credit: Image supplied by the artist. williambwallacecollection.co.uk

This commemorative painting ‘Known Unto God’ by William Wallace, a distant relative of Malcolm Martin who died on the Iolaire, was completed in 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary of the maritime tragedy. The painting depicts multiple objects that the men would have carried including photographs of loved ones, gifts for children for New Year and memories of home such as the Callanish Stones, black house and Lews Castle. Symbolism can be seen in the form of a mournful centaur which represents ‘The Beasts of Holm’ (the rocks which the Iolaire struck on that fateful morning) and a dead eagle; the yacht’s name in Gaelic.

In common with the rest of Scotland, and particularly with people involved in agriculture, a typical reason for Lewis men to object to being conscripted was the hardship that would be caused to their families by their absence on military service. The tribunal might postpone their call-up date to allow them time to arrange for assistance on their croft. Many eligible men living on crofts at Balallan appealed against conscription, and were generally refused.

In 1916 Malcolm MacIver’s appeal came from no. 40 Breasclet, Stornoway. A remarkable letter of support was written by his father Neil and sixteen neighbours at Breasclet on 21 May 1917, highlighting the precariousness of the crofters’ existence. They requested that Macolm be granted condition exemption because of his mother’s age (72) and poor health, the mental incapacity of his sister, ‘who has constantly to be under close supervision’, and the absence in France of his brother. If Malcolm were called away from home ‘the usual annual supply of peats are uncut, and will remain so’, and ‘croft-work, cattle and sheep shall go unattended – in fact home and croft shall soon become vacant' ( SC33/62/1/90 ).

Of Malcolm’s two brothers on active service, John was also in the RNR, but survived the war. Neil MacIver, an NCO in the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, died of gas poisoning on 5 May 1915.

Another islander who was conscripted and subsequently died on active service was Evander Mackenzie (or McKenzie), a mason and crofter of 13 Branahuie, by Stornoway, who joined 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, and died in France on 10 May 1917. His conscription appeal papers are in NRS (ref SC33/62/1/37).

Learn more about Military Service Appeals Tribunal records.

Some Lewis men escaped potential death on the Iolaire by the chance of being selected to sail on the vessel 'Sheila', which departed from Kyle of Lochalsh after the Iolaire. Others slipped aboard the 'Sheila' without permission. They included Donald “Dòhmnall Magaidh” MacDonald who had twice avoided being killed during his wartime naval service. As he later recounted:

‘The third time my life was saved, I was on my way home when the Iolaire was lost. The Iolaire came to pick up the sailors. There were that many going home that New Year and the Sheila could not take them all. I was on board the Iolaire when this soldier that I knew shouted to me “Donald, I have got a bottle of Whisky and would be very happy if the two of us were going across together. I wonder if I gave you a soldier’s coat and a hat could you pretend to be a soldier.” I got on the Sheila through mischief and that saved my life that night.’

(Extract of recollection told to Angus Campbell, 'Am Puilean', who was interviewed and recorded by Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (Ness Historical Society), courtesy of the Society)

Donald "D ò hmnall Magaidh" MacDonald. Courtesy of Linda Sinclair

The statutory registers

The statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages also help to cast light on the families caught up in the tragedy. For example, the births registered in Stornoway during 1918 include many children born to fathers then serving in the Royal Naval Reserve. Several of them died in the Iolaire disaster, but many survived the war and returned home safely.

Among the children born to fathers on active service was Mary Campbell, born on 6 November 1918. Her father Kenneth Campbell was born in 1889, the son of a crofter, and was a fisherman when he married Mary Murray, a fish worker, on 18 December 1913. During the First World War served as a seaman on HMS Galatea, a light cruiser-turned-minelayer. In 1917 and 1918 he lost two brothers who were killed while serving in the RNR. On 25 November 1918 he was in Stornoway to register his daughter’s birth, and was among those who died in the wreck of the Iolaire. Seven months later his widow registered a change of name for their daughter, who was to be called ‘Kennethina Mary’ in his memory. (Kennethina Mary married John Denoon in 1940, and died in 1999.)

Either side of Mary Campbell in the Register of Births are Duncan Nicolson and Hugh Stewart. Their fathers also earned their living at sea, but their fortunes differed from Kenneth Campbell’s, and reflect the fact that the majority of Lewis men did not die on wartime service. Murdo Nicolson, born in 1866 at Back, Stornoway, followed his father’s calling as a fisherman and survived the war. Hugh Stewart, born in 1878, was another fisherman. He served in the Royal Naval Reserve and lived to see the peace.

Birth entry for Mary Campbell and others, November 1918. National Records of Scotland, Register of Births, Stornoway District, 1918, 88/212

Registering the deaths

The huge loss of life on the Iolaire posed a challenge for the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Stornoway District, George Macleod, and his assistant, Peggy MacRitchie.

The status of the servicemen on board, and the fact that the bodies of several men were never found, complicated the task of registering their deaths. Twenty officers and crewmen of the Iolaire perished, but seven survived. Twelve of the deaths were registered soon after the disaster, on 5 January 1919, on information supplied by the Captain of the Naval Depot at Stornoway (Britain’s largest Royal Naval Reserve base). These twelve deaths were registered to help the families of the dead. Almost all of them lived in England. The bodies were despatched from Stornoway on 4 January.

Telegram from the Registrar at Stornoway to the Registrar General, requesting guidance on registering deaths of men whose bodies were being sent to England 4 January 1919. National Records of Scotland, GRO5/1076

On 10 February 1919, concerned that only twelve registered deaths were reported in the monthly returns, the Registrar General asked the Registrar how registration of the deaths was progressing.

In other marine disasters involving fatalities the Procurator Fiscal examined the available evidence regarding the deaths of British subjects and submitted a Report of Precognition to the relevant Registrar. Soon after the ‘Iolaire’ disaster the Procurator Fiscal in Stornoway indicated to the Registrar that he would not be supplying such reports. He may have been anticipating the need for a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), which was sat on 10 - 11 February 1919. Among its findings were the inadequate response of the boat’s crew to the initial impact, the insufficient number of life- belts, boats and rafts, and the delay in deploying life-saving apparatus on the shore.

Report of the FAI findings. National Records of Scotland, GRO5/1076

Following the verdict of the FAI, the cause of death by ‘drowning’, which had been entered for the twelve deaths registered to date, was corrected on 31 March 1919 to ‘suffocation due to submersion’. This cause of death became the standard for almost all the other ‘Iolaire’ deaths that were registered; from late March until late May 1919 more than 100 of the deaths were registered. They were mostly of seamen like Malcolm Martin and Kenneth Campbell who had served in the Royal Naval Reserve. Some deaths were not registered until after bodies were recovered when the wreck was raised. The deaths of another 80 or so RNR and RNVR men were not registered until the period 29 November - 29 December 1919. Many of these deaths were of men whose bodies had not been recovered. The delay probably added to the anguish of the families involved. The work was stressful for the Registrar, and for his assistant, Peggy MacRitchie, who resigned in 1920 ‘because she felt the work too heavy for her’.

The Iolaire Disaster Fund

In response to the disaster, on 6 January an all-male committee was formed ‘to provide assistance for the dependants of men who lost their lives in the wreck of His Majesty’s yacht ‘Iolaire’ at the entrance of Stornoway Harbour’. The Iolaire Disaster Fund was quickly constituted and opened to public subscription. The first registered donation was £1,000 from Lord Leverhulme, who owned Lewis and Harris. Other donations and fundraising concerts during 1919 gathered a total of £29,116. 7s.

Payments to families who had lost fathers, brothers or sons typically ranged from £7 to £9. 10s per year. In 1919 payments to dependants amounted to £2,198. 11s. 4d.. The fund had supported 201 families by the time the final payments were made in January 1938, when the last children of the dependants turned 18 years old.

Sources/Further Reading

This article draws on various records held in National Records of Scotland.

ScotlandsPeople, Statutory Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and Corrected Entries

National Records of Scotland, File on deaths at sea, 1914-1926 (GRO5/1076)

National Records of Scotland, Examiners’ reports on registers in 1919 (GRO1/65, p.85)

ScotlandsPeople, Military Service Appeal Tribunal cases, Stornoway Sheriff Court records (SC33/62)

National Records of Scotland, Inland Revenue file on Iolaire Disaster Fund (IRS21/1338)

Hebridean Connections, Iolaire Disaster Fund: volumes and papers

John Macleod, ‘When I heard the bell: the Loss of the Iolaire’ (Birlinn, 2009)

Naval-History.net, An Index to "British Warships 1914-1919" by F. J. Dittmar & J. J. Colledge

National Records of Scotland, Open Book, The Sinking of the Tuscania, 1918

‘Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After’ (Stornoway, 1920)

‘Dol Fodha na Grèine: The Going Down of the Sun: The Great War and a Rural Lewis Community’ (Stornoway, 2014)

‘The Darkest Dawn: The story of the Iolaire Disaster’, Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John MacLeod (Stornoway, 2018)

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The sinking of the Iolaire

Contributed by Mrs Fiona Baird

At 1.50 a.m. on January 1 st 1919, His Majesty’s Yacht Iolaire ran aground on the rocks known as the ‘Beasts of Holm’ about a mile from the ship’s destination, the port of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. She capsized with the loss of over 200 men, most of them Royal Naval Reservists returning from service in the Great War. Only 83 souls were known to have survived the sinking, still reckoned as the worst peacetime disaster of the entire 20 th century involving a British ship in British waters.

The majority of the servicemen on board were men from the islands of Lewis and Harris. The loss of the Iolaire “widowed 67 women, orphaned as least 209 children, and drowned six pairs of brothers” (MacLeod 2010). Some villages lost all of their men at the very moment when they were preparing to rejoice at their homecoming having been spared by the war. More than a thousand men from the islands had been killed already in service, so this additional loss when peace had been secured was doubly devastating for these tight-knit communities.

The Iolaire (Gaelic for ‘Eagle’) had been built in 1881 and was a luxury yacht before the War. She weighed 634 tons (without guns) and had been used in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic, but on New Year’s Eve 1918 she was in the port of Kyle of Lochalsh as hundreds of men from Lewis and Harris emptied out of trains that had brought them north on their journey home. The Iolaire could safely accommodate 100 people, but as no adequate provisions had been made to take them further, the result was a dangerously overcrowded yacht with two out of three passengers on board having no lifebelts and only two lifeboats. A second ship, the Mail Steamer Sheila , was due to set sail after the Iolaire , so some men clambered aboard the latter in their eagerness to get home, a mistake many never lived to regret.

Iolaire left Kyle at 7.30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and struck the rocks a little before 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Most accounts indicate that she had veered off course in the high winds that night. Bodies were being washed ashore for weeks after the event. In the hurried Court of Inquiry held on January 8 th , the first of several, the master of the Sheila , testified that he had seen the Iolaire leave Kyle in good order, a response to reports and rumours that drunkenness in command might have been a reason for the tragedy. In subsequent investigations, many such testimonies confirmed that the officers and crew of the stricken ship were sober on that night, but it was accepted that the lack of life-saving equipment, confusion on board, and even a broken radio all contributed to the calamity that befell the Iolaire . The eventual outcome was inconclusive, much to the dismay of the islanders. A memorial to the dead and missing was eventually raised at Holm Point nearly 40 years later.

Useful sources:

John MacLeod: When I Heard The Bell: The Loss of the Iolaire (Birlinn, 2010)

Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John McLeod: The Darkest Dawn: The Story of the Iolaire Tragedy (Acair, 2018)

Karen Clavelle: Iolaire (Turnstone Press, 2017)

'Tears are just below the surface': Iolaire tragedy remembered

The Isle of Lewis is still coming to terms with a maritime disaster that killed 201 men a century ago

M argaret Ferguson’s family home on the Isle of Lewis was crowded with portraits. There were more than a hundred, and each was of a man looking out from the canvas. Veterans of the first world war, each man drowned on the same night, on the same boat, a short distance from safety.

In heavy seas and a pitch-black night, an overcrowded steam yacht taking them home on leave, the Iolaire, struck a treacherous reef known as the Beasts of Holm in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919. They were barely a mile from Stornoway harbour and 50 yards from the shore, and of the 280 men on board, only 79 survived.

It remains the UK’s worst peacetime maritime disaster since the sinking of the Titanic – and is being marked by an official ceremony on Tuesday. Yet a century on, the Iolaire story is barely known beyond the Western Isles, despite its scale and horror.

Its memory was suppressed too for generations on Lewis: every family, in a still tightly knit community, was either directly affected or knew someone who had died. Until quite recently, it was rarely, if ever, discussed.

“It is very, very deep within us. In fact, when I think about it, I get a tightness in my chest. The tears are just below the surface,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson, a painter and a widely respected family doctor on Lewis for the last 30 years, said she felt compelled to make the portraits, using black and white family photographs and an archived roll of honour from the Stornoway Gazette, published in the 1920s. Her great-great uncle, Alexander Mackenzie, is among them.

She stored the pictures in her family’s uninhabited ancestral home on the Point peninsula, which overlooks the seas the Iolaire sailed that night, before being exhibited in Stornoway from 31 December until 2 March, one of a series of commemorative events to mark the centenary of the disaster.

In Stornoway harbour, 280 illuminated columns are fixed on to the seabed, sketching the outline of the Iolaire’s hull: 201 of those columns have been lit in blue for those who died while 79 remain white for those who survived. Designed by Malcolm MacLean and Torcuil Crichton, the lighting effect on the artwork, named Sheòl an Iolaire, Gaelic for “the Iolaire sailed”, changes as the tide comes in and recedes.

The commemorations, among the last being staged to mark the centenary of the first world war, include a New Year’s Day service overlooking the site, which will be attended by Prince Charles and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister.

Ferguson believes Lewis has begun to come to terms with the tragedy; even so, the portraits were kept temporarily in the family home because no one lives there. They were propped up on furniture, hung from walls, stacked against walls. “We’ve been talking in the family, saying that there are so many ghosts in the house,” she said. “My father finds it very difficult to go into the room with them.”

As she worked on each image, “I kept thinking I was honouring this man and what he went through, and his family,” she said. “And I got a bit upset towards the end. It was a very intense experience, especially when I paint the eyes. It feels as if he’s in the room with you.”

Ian Stephen, a poet and former Stornoway coastguard whose career began in a coastguard station overlooking the Beasts of Holm, believes everyone on Lewis knows the stories.

There are accounts of drenched, numb survivors immediately walking home across the moors in the storm, too traumatised to wait for help; of women who rushed to the shore to find their sons’ and brothers’ inert bodies among the rocks or surf, their baggage and presents strewn over the sand; of the stream of coffins being taken by horse and cart to be buried every day throughout the following week.

His great-uncle, John Smith, was one of those who died. “It really wasn’t talked about much. We were just aware there was a connection to the Iolaire. It’s only recently that it sunk home that was my grandfather’s brother,” Stephen said.

“Part of the reason for the silence is the enormity of the tragedy; having lived through that hell [of war], they were so close to the shore.”

All the men had spent the war at sea, on minesweepers, battlecruisers and destroyers. Some had already survived sinkings under enemy fire. Many, often volunteers who had joined the naval reserve, had navigated the narrow channel where the Iolaire struck the rocks as fishermen in civilian life.

But the disaster had one hero, John Finlay Macleod, a boat builder from Ness who was on board the Iolaire that night. He saved nearly 40 lives by diving into the churning seas with a rope, then used it to pull a thick hawser taut between the yacht and the beach as a lifeline for survivors.

Malcolm Macdonald, the co-author of an authoritative new study of the disaster, The Darkest Dawn , believes the community-wide trauma was amplified by the heavy wartime losses the Western Isles had already experienced, which in turn contributed to further waves of emigration and economic decline in the 1920s.

Lewis and Harris, the two northern islands of the Western Isles, had a population of 34,600 in 1911. Macdonald estimates about 1,500 of those were killed during the war, and with another 201 lost on the Iolaire, that was an immense cumulative loss of young men and fathers.

Although the official board of inquiry refused to find fault, Macdonald and Stephen believe the Iolaire’s commander and navigating officer made colossal navigational errors, taking the wrong course and failing to correct it in time, in a force 8 gale.

Now aged 70, Macdonald, whose grandfather was among those who died, recalls it was never discussed when he was a child but he has recently been touring schools to discuss his book. “Everyone seems to want to open up and hear the full story. Young children at the schools I have spoken at all sit silently, listening, but then the questions, questions, questions keep pouring out,” he said.

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Hogmanay 1918 and many families in the Western Isles awaited with great anticipation the imminent return of husbands, fathers and sons after four long years of war. Such was the demand to get returning servicemen home, the mailboat ‘Sheila’ could not cope with the demand and therefore the Admiralty drafted in the Yacht Iolaire to assist. But when the Iolaire arrived at Kyle at 4pm on 31 December, she collided with the pier as a result some refused to board her.

Above: The Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire under the name 'Amalthaea' Image credit: Ness Historical Society , via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

The Iolaire finally left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the Scottish mainland late on 31 December 1918. On board were around 254 returning servicemen, many of whom had served in the Royal Naval Reserve, two base sailors and a crew of 24. Therefore around 280 men crammed aboard.

At 1.55am on 1 January 1919, the Iolaire was approaching Stornoway harbour when, in appalling weather and sea conditions, she hit the infamous ‘Beasts of Holm’ so close to harbour were these rocks that those on board would have seen the lights of Stornoway.

Above: Stornaway in the Western Isles

Above: Lying close to the entrance of Stornoway Harbour these rocks are the ‘Beasts of Holm’

Two lifeboats were launched but were smashed upon the rocks by the mountainous seas and as the yacht heeled heavily to starboard, many jumped into the sea but were dashed against the rocks. Many of those aboard could not swim and those that could were hampered by their greatcoats and boots.

Seaman John F Macleod (image below) from the Port of Ness managed to secure a rope, and around 40 men were saved as a result, but a total of 181 islanders, the 2 returning base sailors and 18 of the crew perished.

Above: The mast of the Iolaire remained visible after the sinking

Pension cards for many of those lost can be found in the records preserved by The Western Front Association. Two young men from Borve on the island of Berneray were amongst those lost.

These two lads have consecutive service numbers, having enlisted together on 25 September 1918, both aged 18. They took the decision to board the Iolaire , rather than await the boat for Tarbert due on 1 January. Norman’s body was not recovered but Donald is buried in Berneray Burial Ground.

Seaman John MacDonald came from Ness – a community which lost 23 men from the Iolaire .

John married Jessie Finlayson on 18 October 1918, during his last leave at home. Although no mention is made on the Pension Card, his widow Jessie was initially refused a pension on the grounds that there was no proof that her marriage had been consummated. However the pension was later granted.

Seaman John Murray, also from Ness, was one of the oldest servicemen lost that night. He left a widow, three sons and a daughter and is buried at Ness (St Peter) Old Cemetery.

Another Ness casualty of the Iolaire had previously served in 2 Seaforth Highlanders, Seaman Donald Morrison had enlisted at Fort George on 30 September 1908, serving in the Special Reserve until his mobilisation on 1 September 1914.

He was severely wounded in the back at St Julien near Ypres on 26 April 1915, when many of the battalion were killed in action. Donald was discharged in September 1915 but later enlisted in the Navy in August 1916.

Other casualties of the Iolaire had survived torpedo attacks in which the ship on which they were serving was lost.

Seaman Kenneth MacPhail from Arnol had enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1911 and was mobilised on 2 August 1914, serving on HMS Prince of Wales until May 1916. However, on 31 October 1917 he was aboard SS Cambric when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by U-35. One of only five survivors, his Service Record indicates that he clung onto wreckage for 36 hours until washed ashore. He was admitted to the military hospital in Cherchell, Algeria before being repatriated and later served on HMS President III.

Seaman Murdo Maclean from South Bragar had served on SS Inverbervie when it was torpedoed and sunk by UC.14 in the Mediterranean. Also from South Bragar, Seaman Malcolm Macdonald had survived the explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 6 December 1917 whilst serving on HMS Calgarian. Both were lost in the tragedy, just yards from the shore of their homeland.

Above: Malcolm Macdonald

For some families, the loss was not just one son, but two.

Donald and Murdo MacDonald from Swainbost were travelling home together. A family story relates that Donald, a strong swimmer, reached the shore but returned to the wreck to search for his brother. Neither survived, with Donald’s body never found whilst Murdo was buried at Ness (St Peter) Old Ground. From North Tolsta, brothers Donald and Malcolm Macleod were both lost from the Iolaire . From Sheshader, two brothers perished - both named John but known as John Snr and John Jnr Macdonald.

And also from Leurbost, brothers Alexander and John Mackenzie were lost.

Tragedy followed tragedy for the family of Seaman Donald Maclean of North Lochs.

Donald, a married man with seven children, had served in the Royal Naval Reserve since 1905 and was mobilised on 4 August 1914. His eldest daughter, Catherine, collapsed at the news of the tragedy and died a few days later. Both she and her father were buried together in Crossbost Cemetery.

Of the crew of 24, 18 were lost, the youngest of whom was Signal Boy David McDonald from Aberdeen, aged 17. He is buried at Sandwick, Stornoway.

Above: Sandwick Cemetery graves.

Commander Richard Mason of HMY Iolaire also perished but although his body was recovered according to local press reports at the time, there is apparently no record of any burial place.

For the islanders, the loss of the Iolaire was devastating, not least because the tragedy left an estimated 250 children without a father. For decades, many could not even speak about the events of that night, such was the pain and grief still felt. Many also felt anger at the way in which the Naval Court of Inquiry was convened on 8 January 1919 within days of the tragedy, with survivors, many of whom were still traumatised by events, summoned to attend. The refusal of the Admiralty to publish the findings of the Inquiry further inflamed the feelings of the bereaved. The findings were not published until 50 years later and were locally generally felt to (wrongly) exonerate the actions of the officers involved. Furthermore, the actions of the Admiralty in allowing the wreck to be sold and later broken up in the late 1920s enraged the islanders and those who had lost loved ones. And for those that had survived, many experienced such a sense of survivor guilt that some emigrated from the islands in the inter war years, further decimating small and fragile communities. It would not be until 1960 that a memorial was erected to those lost.

Above: Iolaire Memorial obelisk

Article by Jill Stewart and Robert Stone

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DON STREET’S IOLAIRE: Lost On the Coast of Ibiza

I heard glimmerings of this on the interwebs and immediately contacted Don, who obliged with a detailed release and obituary, most of which I’m publishing below. I don’t want my headline to confuse anyone. Iolaire , when she went down late last month after an accidental jibe off Ibiza, actually did not belong to Don anymore. After more than half a century of ownership, he sold her about 10 years ago. She had several notable owners over her long career (check this useful Classic Sailboats post for a full list), but Don was certainly the most notable and also owned her the longest.

I enjoyed the privilege of crewing aboard Iolaire in her last Fastnet Race in 2005, when Don was a sprightly 75 years of age and the boat was merely 100. You can check out this post here for a few details on that. Following Don’s release, I’ve posted a few extra photos from that voyage in memory of her.

Iolaire ’s Loss

On January 1, 1919, due to bad seamanship, the large steam yacht Iolaire, with over 200 servicemen returning from WWI aboard, hit rocks at the entrance to Stornaway harbour and sank with massive loss of life.

One hundred years and seven months later on July 26, 2019, the 89th birthday of Don Street, the 46-foot yawl Iolaire was lost on the NE coast of Ibiza, in Spain’s Balearic islands, after an unexpected jibe in heavy weather. It was the end of the boat’s brilliant 114-year career.

Don Street, who owned Iolaire for 52 years, purchased the boat in St. Thomas in March 1957 and realized that the big heavy main boom, left over from the boat’s gaff-rigged days, could be a real widow-maker in an inadvertent jibe. From the earliest days, whenever sailing broad off, a main boom fore-guy/peventer was rigged. This was often a difficult job.

Thru the years Street worked out various improved methods of rigging the main boom foreguy. By the early ‘80s, he had developed a rig where the main boom foreguy ran from the end of the main boom to the end of the bowsprit and back to a midship winch or cleat. This was arranged so it could be rigged with no one going FORWARD of the mast. It was ALWAYS rigged when sailing broad off or dead downwind.

Detailed description and drawing of Iolaire ’s preventer rig provided by Don to run with this release. He notes it is reporduced on the back of all Imray-Iolaire charts

Iolaire under her original gaff rig

This was obviously not rigged on July 26. At about 0200 hours Iolaire was sailing dead downwind along the NE coast of Ibiza when she inadvertently jibed. She headed inshore, hit rocks, and sank, ending a 114-year career of carrying sailors safely thru thick and thin. The owner/skipper and his partner got ashore in a liferaft.

Iolaire for 52 years carried Don Street, his family, friends, and various Grenadian crew safely throughout the entire eastern Caribbean, seven times across the Atlantic, and eight times up and down the Thames River, all with no engine. Don cruised, chartered, and raced the boat. His explorations resulted in the Imray-Iolaire charts of the eastern Caribbean and the Atlantic islands, plus hundreds of articles, three reference books, and his all-inclusive cruising guides to the Eastern Caribbean and the Cape Verdes.

Iolaire was a lucky lady. In 1947 she was lying in the sub pens in Gibraltar waiting for owner and crew to arrive to commence a transatlantic passage to the Caribbean. A few hours after the crew arrived, a large surge developed in the sub pens. Despite the heroic efforts of Iolaire’s owner and crew, Iolaire lost 13 feet of bulwark and 8 feet of sheer strake. The owner, the late RH Bobby Sommerset, heir to the title of the Duke of Sommerset, was highly regarded by the Royal Navy, as he had served during WWII as a navigating officer.

The dockyard immediately organized shipwrights and teak to repair the damage so Iolaire could continue her cruise.

In 1959 Don Street resurrected Iolaire from the dead. She had been declared a total loss and was lying on the beach in Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, after her anchor shackle broke. Don bought her back from the insurance company for $100. He got her off the beach, put her on the West Indian company dock, and set up a shipyard!!! He replaced four frames, five timbers, a bilge stringer, eleven planks, and the rudder. He also installed a new main cabin interior and reinstalled the engine (a big mistake). Iolaire was off on charter 13 weeks and three days after being wrecked.

In 1961 Iolaire survived two hurricanes, Ester and Greda, off City Island, New York, while secured to two heavy permanent moorings.

In 1962 she was dismasted in the Anegada Passage, but Don managed to tow the mast into Norman Island. One there he lifted it on deck, powered back to St. Thomas, scarfed 12 feet of new wood on to the bottom of the mast, and was out on charter 11 days later.

In 1966 Iolaire lost the top 10 feet of her mast off Dominica. Don, his 4-year-old daughter Dory, plus a young Grenadian boat-boy, sailed Iolaire under jury rig back to Grenada, a distance of 200 miles, at an average speed of 5.2 kts. A bare aluminium tube was shipped to Grenada, fittings were transferred from the wooden mast, and a new rig was created by Street in Grenada. Iolaire was back sailing two months after her mishap.

In 1984, Iolaire was caught by the late November hurricane Klaus. This was only the second hurricane since 1851 to have formed in the eastern Caribbean and headed NE. Iolaire was anchored on the north side of St Martin. She survived lying to six of her seven anchors.

From 1985 until when Don sold her in 2009, Iolaire survived six more near-disasters. Three times she was saved by the skillful work of crew and skipper. Three times she was saved by her own lucky streak.

In her 114 years Iolaire safely carried her crews thru fog, light and heavy winds, and more gales than anyone can count. Of her Don says: “For 52 years I lived on Iolaire , I camped out when on shore!”

The spirit of Iolaire will live on. If you visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club on the wall of the second-floor landing you will find a half model of Iolaire , which carried the RORC flag from the club’s founding in 1928 until 2009. Below the model are photographs of Iolaire under five different rigs with short notes on the various RORC members who owned her.

Iolaire on a mooring at Cowes, prior to the start of the 2005 Fastnet Race

Don’s wife Trich on deck at Cowes

Ghosting down the Solent after the start, with Emma Richards and crew aboard Pindar overhauling us

Don on the helm after the start

Looking west down the Solent

Later in the race. It was a drifter!

After Don sent me his release, I asked him if at age 89 he was still firing on all cylinders. He responded: “I am like the old WWII Wright Cyclone radial air-cooled engine that could absorb bullets and still run on 14 of its 16 cylinders! Still racing Gypsy , my 86-year-old Dragon, the oldest Dragon in the world. At 89 myself I am now the oldest Dragon sailor in the Northern Hemisphere.”

More power to him!

DON STREET AT 93: Still Sailing (and Drinking Greenies) After All These Years

ME, THE BOAT AND A GUY NAMED BOB: Cruising the W’Indies With Dylan

We can aspire to the spirit of Don Street’s legacy. I grew up reading his books and following his accounts of adventure with Iolaire. The loss of Iolaire is a reminder of how quick the transition from thrill to grief can be; especially in light of overlooked “minor” details such as forgetting the preventer when running downwind.

I have always believed that my mother was named after this yawl. Particularly having met Don in Kiel in the late 1990s. He had a log showing that she was in Falmouth in 1925, where and when my mother was born. So glad we got to see her before her very sad demise 🙁

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Engineering:HMY Iolaire

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HMY Iolaire was an Admiralty Yacht that sank at the entrance to Stornoway harbour on 1 January 1919, with the loss of at least 201 men out of the 283 on board. The overcrowded vessel was trying to negotiate a difficult route under exceptionally bad weather conditions. The disaster cost the Isle of Lewis almost the whole of its young male population.

5 Footnotes
6 References
7 External links

His Majesty's Yacht Iolaire for ' Eagle ' [lower-alpha 1] was an Admiralty yacht, originally named the Amalthaea, and re-named in 1918. She was carrying sailors who had fought in the First World War back to the Scottish Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. She left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland late on the evening of 31 December 1918. At 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, as the ship approached the port of Stornoway, a few yards offshore and a mile away from the safety of Stornoway Harbour, she hit the infamous rocks "The Beasts of Holm" and sank. Those on board would have been able to see the lights of Stornoway. The death toll was officially put at 205, of whom 181 men were islanders but as the ship was badly overcrowded and there was a lack of proper records, the toll could have been somewhat higher.

John F. Macleod from Ness, Isle of Lewis saved 40 lives, swimming ashore with a heaving line, along which many of the survivors made their way to safety. Only 82 of the 283 (officially known) passengers survived the disaster; 71% of the men on the yacht died in the incident. [1] The impact of the disaster was devastating to the Islands; 205 passengers were lost, representing almost an entire generation of young men from the Islands.

The sailors were wearing their uniforms including heavy boots, which made swimming from the wreck difficult; many men of that time had never had the opportunity to learn. Many songs and poems, such as An Iolaire , describe the women of these men finding their men washed up on the shore the next day. The sinking is the worst maritime disaster (for loss of life) in United Kingdom waters in peacetime, since the wreck of the SS Norge off Rockall in 1904 and the worst peacetime disaster involving a British ship since Titanic on 15 April 1912. [1]

An Admiralty enquiry found no satisfactory explanation for the disaster. Its inconclusive findings generated much ill feeling amongst the Lewis population, amidst accusations of a "whitewash". While drunkenness among the crew was discounted at the enquiry, the vessel was sailing at night, in poor visibility and in deteriorating weather. The entrance to Stornoway harbour is not the most straightforward of navigations and it is possible that navigational error was to blame. [ citation needed ] This hypothesis appears to be supported by the crew of a fishing vessel who noted that Iolaire was not navigating the correct course for entering the harbour.

The sinking was one of the worst maritime disasters in British waters during the 20th century. A memorial was erected in 1958 at Holm, outside Stornoway. [2] A stone pillar sticks out of the water at the site of the wreck, which can be seen to starboard as the car ferry approaches the harbour entrance. The community-led commemoration of the centenary was marked in a number of ways including by musicians such as Julie Fowlis and Duncan Chisholm, as well as local artists such as Malcolm Maclean. [3] The disaster has been included in the Arts and Humanities Research Council "Living Legacies (1914-18)" project, led by Abertay University and The Centre for History, University of the Highlands and Islands and the resulting app highlights the nature and extent of the loss felt by families and communities. [4]

A national commemorative service was held at the memorial on 1 January 2019 to mark the centenary of the disaster, attended by First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, who unveiled a new memorial at Holm which depicts the rope used by John F. MacLeod to save 40 lives. [5] [6]

List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll
↑ Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [ˈjul̪ˠɪɾə] or [ˈjul̪ˠɪðə] , varying slightly according to the dialect; the English-speaking crew used a spelling pronunciation of / ˈ aɪ . əl ɛər / and this was also adopted by Gaelic speakers.
↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sinking of HMY Iolaire - list of all on board at time of grounding" . 17 December 2008 . http://www.adb422006.com/Iolairelist.htm .
↑ "Iolaire Memorial" . Gazetteer for Scotland . http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst8715.html .
↑ "Isle of Lewis prepares mass commemoration for people of Iolaire" (in en) . https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/isle-of-lewis-prepares-mass-commemoration-for-people-of-iolaire-1-4837554 .
↑ "Visualising the lolaire" . http://www.livinglegacies1914-18.ac.uk/CommunityResources/CommunityProjects/Visualisingthelolaire/ .
↑ "Commemorative service for Iolaire disaster" . BBC News . 1 January 2019 . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46633716 .
↑ "Iolaire Commemorative Sculpture Unveiled" . https://www.gaelforcegroup.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/iolaire-commemorative-sculpture-unveiled/ .
Dòmhnallach, Tormod Calum (1978) (in gd, en). Call na h-Iolaire . Stornoway: Acair. ISBN 978-0-86152-000-8 .
MacLeod, John (2009). When I Heard The Bell . Edinburgh: Birlinn Press. ISBN 978-1-84158-858-2 .
Sea Sorrow: The Story of the Iolaire Disaster (The Loss of the Admiralty Yacht "Iolaire" on New Year's Morning, 1919) . Stornoway: Stornoway Gazette. 1972. ISBN 978-0-903960-01-4 .

External links

Ness Historical Society Article (via Archive.org)
Across Two Seas: The sinking of H.M.Y. Iolaire - 1 January 1919
The Independent: New Year's Day 1919: A private tragedy at Lewis
National Library of Scotland: Iolaire: Echoes of a Peacetime Disaster
National Library of Scotland: The Stornoway disaster of 1919
The Scotsman: The Iolaire disaster, where 200 men died yards from shore
Stornoway Historical Society: Iolaire Disaster
Virtual Hebrides: Iolaire Disaster
Visualising the Iolaire

[ ⚑ ] 58°11′16″N 6°20′59″W / 58.18774°N 6.34971°W / 58.18774; -6.34971 ( Wreck site of HMY Iolaire )

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Donald M. Street Jr.

Don Street has owned Iolaire for 53 years. Note that articles on her have appeared in Yachting Monthly, Classic Boat Nov 05’, Sail Feb 06’and Cruising World March 06’ Iolaire now has a diesel electric engine installation. She was on the market, but only the right person. Reason she was on the market as age is catching up with the owner (age 80) but not with Iolaire. After sailing her for 37 years without the aid of an engine he has broken down and installed small desiel electric power. Desiel generator in foc'sle where the chain locker was, (chain locker moved forward where over the years a lot of unnecessary spares had accumulated), the electric motor under the navigators seat, result, accommodations remain unchanged. With the generator in the foc'sle, on deck when it is running it can not be heard, and is barely heard in the skipper's after cabin. END OF AN ERA THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE With my 80th birthday July 26 approaching, it was time to quit sailing Iolaire while I was still fit enough to run around on Iolaire's deck and do everything. We, the whole Street family, feel we are very lucky as we have sold the Iolaire to a very good owner Guy Sommers. He heard Iolaire was for sale, flew to Ireland, spent an afternoon with me, asked me to leave him on the boat the second day, the third day over breakfast he said "I want her lets make a deal". After 20 minutes talking a deal was made on a hand shake. I quickly typed out a list of things I would do before I turned the boat over to him, signed it and off to the bank to make a 10% deposit to seal the deal while he organized the transfer of the balance. I am not quitting sailing as early July Gypsy our dragon went back in the water, and the the 80 year old WPOF (well preserved old fart) sailing an 73 year old dragon was out there giving the youngsters (at 80 anyone under 60 is a kid) a hard time. Racing in Glandore harbor, good starts, good sail trimming, good spinnaker work and some old native animal cunning has kept us competitive against the fiberglass dragons. Gypsy has not been in commission for 3 years, nor have I been racing dragons for three years so performance has been erratic. We have won some races and in the other races the kids had to work hard to beat Gypsy. It is truly the end of an era 53 years 4 month of ownership and I have turned Iolaire over to a new owner. The RORC is 85 years old, Iolaire has flown the RORC burgee for 80 years. I think those two numbers must be records. I delivered Iolaire to devon with new owner, he as skipper, me as sailing master. It was a slow start, motored(diesel electric drive installed 07 flat calm power only) out of glandore then motor sailed for 1/2hr then wind filled in and we shut the engine down. I went below to sleep. I woke up two hours later, Iolaire did not feel right. I went up on deck to discover the new owner struggling with heavy weather helm, everything miss trimmed I sorted things out, properly reefed main, re sheeted yankee to end of main boom, moved the staysail lead from the windward going lead to the reaching lead, set up boom vang, doused missen and we took off at 7/ 7.5 kts with neutral helm. Glandore to Seven stones light ship 150 miles in 24 hours! dispite slow start. Glorious night sail with smooth sea and full moon no clouds, doing a solid 7 all night. As we passed Seven Stones light ship the wind went up and down and changed direction. It made a good sail drill for new owner. His friend steered while new owner did foredeck under my direction. Four hours close reaching under MPG(light genoa) main, mizzen staysail, and mizzen. It was right up at the limit of MPG and mizzen staysail, smooth sea neutral helm doing a solid 7 1/2 kts, fantastic!. New owner is a good seaman, builder of dinghies and an electronic specialist. His buddy that he has sailed with since teen age days DESIGNS motor controllers so the Asmo,electric drive system does not faze them. I suspect they know more about the system than the boys that put the asmos system together. Trich and I feel confident that we have sold her to the right owner To those who would like to keep track of Iolaire's activities go to www.1905Iolaire.com.I Sailors that know her from the Caribbean are puzzled by the fact that Iolaire is now white. Sailors would ask me "why is Iolaire red?" my reply"because it matches the numbers in my bank account"! Iolaire means "white tailed sea eagle" in Gaelic. The name had been on her for 52 year when I bought her so needless to say I did not change the name. It took me a year to find the meaning of the name. My irish wife Trich insisted that Iolaire "white tailed sea eagle" be painted white for her 100th birthday sooooo I know that the only thing that is more expensive than a wife is an ex wife so to keep my wife of then 39 years happy Iolaire was painted white. One problem , when staying at the RORC every time I go to the third floor there on the wall is a beautiful half modle of "the old red race horse " with six photos and a brief history ofIolaire and her previous owners. nick name used to be sqeaky but with the way I am having holes cut in me nick name should be changed to swiss cheeze The famous Dragon Fafner has been sold to a really good owner who is planing to install a teak deck and bring her back to sweden to her birth place and race her there. She obviously will be sailing and racing for many more years. For more information please Click Here D. M. Street Jr., a lifetime sailor, has spent over fifty years cruising, charting and writing about the Caribbean. Forty of those years were spent in his 46ft. engineless yawl, Iolaire, built in 1905, and 6 years on the 28ft engineless yawl L'll Iolaire,( L'll Iolaire was unfortunately lost during hurricane Ivan when a TTM catamaran dragged down on her) in the caribbean. He now cruises the Caribbean on OPB "Other Peoples Boats", and in europe in the Iolaire, taking part in many of the classic regattas. There follows a list of errors found in British Admiralty charts both Big Ship and their Leisure Charts. Cross check British Admiralty, US NOAA and Nautical Publication Charts against the relevant Imray-Iolaire Charts. If there are differences, then the Imray-Iolaire Charts are correct. We can say this with confidence as twice in the Compass mariners were asked to send in corrections to Imray-Iolaire Charts, and/or the need to improve them. So far noting has been received, thus we can only conclude Imray-Iolaire Charts are correct. ERRORS IN BRITISH ADMIRALITY CARIBBEAN CHARTS AS ACERTAIND BY D M STREET JNR., WHO HAS SPENT THE LAST 50 YEARS CRUISING, EXPLORING, CHARTERING AND WRITING ABOUT THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. In 2004 the British Admiralty brought out a set of Caribbean leisure charts. D. M. Street Jnr., went through them carefully and made a list of all the errors he found. He gave the list to a number of Imray Iolaire chart agents. That list of errors somehow or other ended up back in the Admiralty hands. They admitted IN PRINT IN NOVEMBER 2004 Yachting Monthly, that there were errors in the British Admiralty Leisure Charts. arts hThey said the errors weould be corrected using satellite imagery. However, they continued to sell uncorrected charts that THEY KNEW TO BE IN ERROR!!!!!!!!Finally after selling charts the knew to be in error for seven years they discontinued the leisure charts In contrast to the errors noted in the British Admiralty Charts twice in the winter of 2007 it was announced in The Compass that Imray was completely redrawing the Imray Iolaire Charts electronically as the Head Draughtsman Alan Wilkenson who has been working for Imray for 48 years was coming up for retirement. It was requested in The Compass, the free nautical newspaper that is distributed throughout the Caribbean, that sailors that knew of any errors in Imray Iolaire Charts, would they please contact D M Street Jnr., at [email protected]. No corrections or suggestions regarding changes have been received. Thus, it can only be assumed that the Imray Iolaire Charts are correct. THE US COAST GUARD USES IMRAY IOLAIRE CHARTS WHY DON’T YOU. MCA Compliant Yachts are required by law to carry on board the British Admiralty Charts relevant to their area. BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF OLD TIME CAPTAINS THAT HAVE A LOT OF TIME IN THE CARRIBBEAN THOUGH THEY CARRY ONBOARD THE BRITISH ADMIRALITY CHARTS, THE CHARTS THEY USE ARE THE IMRAY IOLAIRE CHARTS. Talk to Brian Harrison of Dione Star, Phil Richards of Chanti al Mar, Mark Fitzgerald of Sojana, Phil Wade of Timoneer 11, Hans Hoff (now retired), John Barden of Creole, Jessica (now Adix) Shenandoah, Steve Carson of Adela, Steve Goss of Adix, they and many others rely on Imray Iolaire Charts rather than the British Admiralty Charts. There follows the list of errors found, and there are probably others. ERRORS FOUND IN BRITISH ADMIRALTY CHARTS OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN NOVEMBER 2010 Most of these errors were reported to the BA in January 2007 and have not been corrected and still appear in BA that have supposedly been corrected. These charts had been hand corrected to beginning of November. 2047 Anguilla, the lights at Road and Windward points have been out for over 20 years 2005 St Thomas to Roadtown Tortola, wrong in Brenners Bay, Red Hook Enghn Pond St. Johns, Mary Creek,there has not been any customs in Coral Bay for 30 years Nanny Cay, Sea Cow Bay and Roadtown are all wrong. 2008 St Thomas to Anegada same errors as above plus it shows rock south of Pull and Bedamed Point Camaneo , rock does not exist. 2019 Roadtown to North Sound, errors in Road town harbor, Hodges Cre ek, Fat Hog and Trellis Bays, soundings wrong and the runway extension done about 20 years ago does not show. Rock south of Pull and Be dammed point show but rock does not exist. North sound buoy on Oyster rock established over ten years ago not shown, soundings at Anguilla point entrance and between Pricky Pear, Saba Rock and Bitter end wrong. 2020 Harbors and anchorages in British Virgin Islands, North sound wrong, mistakes listed above. Roadtown harbor dispite the fact that a survey crew was sent out Roadtown Harbor full of errors. Road Reef marina that has had 9/10 ‘ of water in it for 30 years is show a 4’ deep!!!!! Sea Cow bay wrong, no controlling depths given for the various channels shown 2183 St Thomas harbor and surrounding are Saba island wrong, overhead cable obstructing Krum bay that has been there for at least 60 years is not shown, Haulover Cut 4.6 meters nuts!!!!! More like 10’. 1025 Anguilla to Barbuda buoy on Proselyte that has been there for fifteen or more years not shown, sounding SE corner of Barbuda nuts 2079 Ports of St. Martin,Anguilla St.Barts. Oyster pond buoyage nuts, Roadharbor sounding nuts and light on Road Point out for 20plus years. Marigot sounding nuts, south bulkhead St Lous marina built about 2005/6 not shown, Groot Baai sounding nuts, no channel shown connecting the north and south side of Simson Lagoon shown dispite this channel being dredged about 25 years ago. No info on depth of channel or width of bridge shown, Gustavia harbor nuts. 254 Monseratt and Barbuda sounding south east end of Barbuda nuts and new hotel with fake light house on west coast not shown. 482 St Kitts Statia Saba, no transits/ranges show for safe passage thru the Narrows. They were clearly shown on the old BA charts but have been deleted. 2064 Antigua , depths Falmouth and English harbor wrong , no warning that range light in Falmouth are impossible to pick out because they are low and lost in other lights, buoyage wrong and no warning that lights and buoyage in Antigua unreliable. 491 Anchorages in Guadalopue Deserade Grand Anse, channel and harbor dredged about three or more years ago, Guadalopue , Grand Bourg nuts, St Louis marina built about 5years ago not shown, Terre Haute, Baie de Pointe Pierre, rock blown out by French divers at least thirty years ago. 371 Martinique wreck off beach of Anse Mitane has not been there for over thirty years, combination of worms feasting and hurricanes, Savan anchorage details 20 years out of date, Trois Islet nuts. 494 South coast of Martinique Cul de Sac marine depths and buoyage appears correct but no marinas shown. The marinas have expanded so much that the completely fill the entire north end of the harbor. 197 Northeast St. Lucia, soundings north side of St. Croix Roads nuts, Rodney bay completely out of date.Channel dredge to 14 ‘ at least 4 years ago. 1273 St Lucia errors as listed above. 502 Harbors of Barbadoes Pt St. Charles inadequate, refer to sailing directions on back of Imray Iolaire chart B 5 . 793 Northern Grenadines Charleston bay 30 years out of date. 794 Grenadines Central Clifton harbor/Frigate island 20 years out of date, Gran Col Pt buoy frequently missing and not replaced for years, no warning.Boats frequently hit the rock when buoy missing. Shoal north of Petit Martinique in line between Petite St Vincent anchorage and Petit Martinique anchorage does not exist, nor does the rock that is shown on the south east entrance/exit from the Petite St Vincent anchorage north of the reef. 795 Grenadines southern part, errors as listed above exist. Watering bay, north east corner of outer reef, there has been a steel freighter 90’ sitting on the reef for 20or more years, great land mark but not shown on chart. 797 Grenada, Grenville ranges/transits not shown, Prickly bay Spice Island marine, channel and Coast guard station in NWcorner of harbor not show so chart 6 years out of date, two western channels into Mt Hartman bay not shown, nor is it mentioned that many of the entrances are privately buoyed but buoyage unreliable. Very few of the marinas are noted, nor the fake lighthouse on Prickley Point that is an excellent land mark noted, basically chart 6 to 7 years out of date. 799 St Georges harbor 3 years out of date, Port St Louis marina built, entrance to lagoon dredged to 16’. This site will hopefully not be boring. I will be advertising my books, Imray-Iolaire Charts and my services as an Insurance Broker, design consultant for yachts of new construction and altering existing boats, to make them more habitable, more easily handled and in many cases faster and more seaworthy. But this is not all. Every month there will be a news letter, both interesting and humorous. These bulletins will go into the aspects of what is wrong in modern yacht design and how to fix it— basically articles that no yachting magazine will publish as they are afraid of hurting their advertisers . Because of electronic publishing all of the books I have written will be back in print, updated guides and the books on boats and seamanship updated in relation to what I have learned since the books originally went into print. Plus the way things have changed vis a vis new equipment that has come on the market. Street's Guides are available at most good marine bookstores and Imray-Iolaire Chart Agents in the Caribbean. In the States they can be ordered directly from: Armchair Sailor, Thames St., Newport, RI08240 Fax: 401 847 1219 Email: [email protected] and in Europe from: Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Wych House, The Broadway, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 5BT England. Telephone: (01480) 462114 Fax: (01480) 496109 E-mail: [email protected] For books out of print check Amazon.com /Internet.

Streets' Guides may not be the cheapest but they are the best.

There is good insurance and there us cheap insurance. But there is no good cheap insurance. You never know how good your insurance coverage is until you have a claim. Then if you have a broker, who has written a poor policy and the claim is denied because the claim falls between the planks so to speak, it is too late. I well remember the story of a yachtsman who had an insurance claim denied (I had not organized his insurance ). He complained that the broker had sold him a policy, which can only be compared to a leaky French letter/condom-maximum coverage with minimum protection. David Payne and my claims settlement record over the years is so good that it cannot be beaten by any other broker. I am very proud of the fact that all my clients (bar two that were trying to file fraudulent claims and I had to side with the underwriter) who have filed claims are still my drinking partners. I have been in the insurance business for 47 years,45 working closely with brokers who placed the insurance with Lloyds of London, under the name of Iolaire Enterprises Ltd. until the new FSA regulations came in. Now I am only a referal agent and all policies are in the name of the broker who arrnages the insurance. From 1966 when I started organizing insurance with Llyod until he retired at the end of 1999 I have dealt with David Payne. Until he retired in 1996 the majority of my of my insurance was placed with underwriter Robin Kershaw. When he retired, his understudy Mike Waterfield took over. This continuity; David Payne, Robin Kershaw, Mike Waterfield and Donald Street, was a continuity unmatched in the marine industry. Since 1990 I have been refering insurance to Besso who have been placing it with various different Llyods underwriters, picking what they feel is the best underwriter for the risk that I have refered to them. Because of the changes that have happened with the re organization of Llyods in the late 80's early 90's and the new regulations of the FSA, paper work to place a risk is now so great that Besson will not handle insurance for boats whose hull valuation is less than ? Besso is a large company with many divisions. Thus Besso is fully equipped to arrange all the various types of coverage that a yacht may need, hull, liability, crew insurance,health,accident, loss of wages, fine arts coverage, you name it they can organize it. For values under ? I introduce inquiries I recieve to Ferryman, a non Llyods company headed by Peter Norfeild whic is based in Burnham on Crouch. Peter in his youth worked as an underwriter in Llyods. He has raced boats out of Burnham on Crouch all his life, for many years as a top notch navigator, now he is racing his own boat.

Most (but not all) underwriters give no coverage for named storms, between 12º to 35º north from June 1st to December 1st. The old hurricane dates were from June 1st to November 1st but due to the fact that in the last 20 years there have been more named storms/hurricanes during the month in November than there have been in the previous 100 years, many underwriters have moved the date on to the 1st December. However if your boat is on the east coast of the States, and you want to sail to the Caribbean, some underwriters may be willing to give named storm coverage as long as the departure has been approved by a recognized weather router. Sailors who wish to cruise north of 12º during the hurricane season, there is no problem. It is just a case of listening to the radio weather reports every morning. If a hurricane is reported approaching your area, pick up anchor and head south as fast as you can. With the satellite coverage we have today, the forecasters allow us enough time to get south of 12 north before the hurricane hits.. Being caught unawares by a hurricane is unlikely unless you are very careless or very unlucky. Please remember there is no coverage north of 12` for damage caused by NAMED STORMS but if you are north of 12º from June 1st to December 1st, if you run aground, or your boat catches fire, or you loose your rig YOU ARE COVERED. You are only not covered for damage caused by named storms. Regarding hurricanes, avoidance, frequency and securing a boat if a hurricane approaches if you decide to ride it out in a harbor, read 'Reflections on Hugo' which was written in 1989. This appears in all my Cruising Guides availble in the eastern Caribbean at all IWW stores, or internet iUniverse.com. It is also available in the states via Bluewater, Ft. Lauderdale, Armchair, Newport. Also check Caribbean Compass 'Hurricane Myths Exploded' October 2004 and 'Reflections on Ivan' written in November 2004 . Bluewater Sailing also had an article by me "Securing for a Hurricane" I also recommend obtaining and studying carefully the Hurricane Book from; National Climatic Data Center, 151, Patton Avenue,Room 120, Ashiville NC 28801 5001 Phone 828 271 4800 Fax 271 4010-TDD Email [email protected] home page http://www.ncdc.noaa

Besso or Ferryman can sometimes arrange named storm coverage for boats stored ashore if they are stored as described as below; To be regarded as properly stored; masts must be removed and boats should be stored with their keels and rudders in a hole, resting on tyres, plus additional supports bow and stern if necessary (catamaran club marina hauling facility actually has carefully fitted chocks both bow and stern that absolutely fit the curvature of the hull, obviously done by a carpenter that also a good draughtsman). If the boat is supported on screw stands the stands it must have plywood pads under them so that they cannot sink into the soft wet ground that the heavy rain during a hurricane produces. The stands must be secured together by "Ree bar" welded to the stands; the screw jacks must be secured so that they cannot unwind. The surveyor then certifies that there are sufficient stands for the size of the boat (I noted in an add not too long after Ivan in the Compass in an add there was a photo of a boat sitting there with only two screw stands on one side. This chocking arrangement is obviously inadequate.) Sand Screws must be driven into the sand or dead men properly buried or if on a hard standing bolts secured into the solid ground so that the boats can be secured down into the stands or into the hole resting onto the tyres by heavy nylon straps. Thsi is necessary as even well chocked boats have been known to blow out of the cradles. The same type of straps as are used to secure loads on trucks. Alternately they can be stored in the special built steel cradles (with the masts out) but must also be tied down into the cradles as described above. Many underwriters will not cover for damage caused by other boats falling over and damaging the properly chocked and insured boat. Thus there would have to be substantial space between boats and the masts removed from all boats in the area where the hauled boats are insured against named storm damage. Besso or Ferryman can also SOMETIMES arrange coverage for named storms for boats in the water well secured in certain marinas, or tucked way up in a mangrove area, bow in, with all anchors out astern. This of course is judged on each individual case after the underwriter has seen the boats hurricane preparation plans. Needless to say this coverage does not come cheaply.

Before quoting on insurance, the underwriter will need to see a copy of a recent hauled survey done by a surveyor that the underwriter approves of. The underwriter will require that all recomendation essential for the safe navigation of the boat are complied with. New surveyors are popping up in the Caribbean like mushrooms out of an old log. By the time a man has enough experience to be a really good surveyor he is usually approaching retirement age. Be suspicious of young surveyors. Because of old age and size, many of the older surveyors will not (or often are not capable) of going up the mast and doing a complete rig survey. Underwriters usually insist on a complete rig survey. If the surveyor does not want to go up the mast, have the surveyor hire the local rigger to do the rig survey. There have been number of losses where stainless chainplates which were buried in fiberglass had become corroded and failed.If this happens many underwriters have denied the claims as most policies not state there is no coverage if the loss has been caused by corrosion. Pull chainplates out and inspect them, or if this is very difficult or impossible go to Trinidad and have them checked by having them x rayed in place.In trinadad they have the equipement to do this and the price is very reasonable.

Please note most underwriters do not insure single handers. It is possible to organize insurance for Catamarans but most underwriters do not like them, thus the insurance rate is not cheap. Because of the new FSA regulations I can no longer advise on insurance, I can only pass on the inquiry for insurance to a broker that I feel is best suited to the needs of the pontenial insured. Please supply as much of the information requested below. I will then examine the information and pass your name and contact on to the broker that is most likely to be able to arrange insurance for you, or I may say that I do not know of a broker that can give coverage suitable for your needs.

Please read the below information needed to obtain insurance, supply all the possible information requested. Please send the information to [email protected] I will examine it and send your name and contact information on to the insurance broker or brokers that will be most interested in insuring your boat or reply that I can not help you.

For last months Article: Towboat Hitches go to Article page at the top of this page.

For last months Article: Towboat Hitches go to Article page at the top of this page

Street Tips Last months Article: Towboat Hitches . Hatches As reported in the discussion on Dorades, yachting magazines regularly have articles on sea sickness, it's prevention and cure. But, they never mention what many sailors feel is the best way to prevent sickness - Make sure the boat is well ventilated, both in port and at sea. The ventilation on the vast majority of modern yachts is hopeless, as per our discussion on Dorade ventilators. The vast majority of them are water scoops. They put little or no air below decks. Hatches are in most cases the same, as —although they are water tight— the modern aluminium hatch is also air tight. The vast majority of boat builders install single hinged hatches. I.e. They will only open in one direction. Those hatches that open facing forward are great in port if it isn't raining. The minute it starts raining (or at sea) the hatches must be closed. In northern climates below decks just gets stuffy. In the southern climates - Mediterranean and Caribbean, the boat rapidly becomes a sweat box. Some boat builders hinge the hatches on the forward end. At sea, if spray is not flying, they can be left open and a good amount of air gets down below decks. But, the minute the spray starts flying, the hatches must be closed. Again causing a stuffy boat or sweat box. Plus the aft opening hatches are fine in the northern climate in port, but in a tropical climate facing aft they gather no air. The athwartship opening hatches are absolutely useless except on a beam reach, or lying in a marina beam to the wind. Properly designed hatches can be water tight, and yet suck in plenty of air. First of all Double Opening Hatches are the solution. They open facing forward in port, facing aft at sea. Fit a good dodger over the hatch, and they can be left open facing aft under the dodger at sea in all but very extreme conditions. There are a few manufacturers of aluminium hatches that are double hinged. But, the vast majority of them you must go on deck to pull the pins and reverse the opening. Needless to say, with intermittent squalls it is a real nuisance. If the hatch opening forward, a rain squall comes in you must run up on deck close the hatch, change the pins, and opening it aft. All is well. Next minute the rain squall passes and you have to go back up on deck close the hatch, change the pins, and opening it facing forward again. This is not necessary as I reported in Ocean Sailing Yacht, Volume 2, page 329, illustration 27. A Goiot hatch is a double opening hatch that can be reversed from below decks without having to go on deck. Why all boat builders do not install this hatch is beyond me. They make the excuse that this hatch is too expensive. But, the cost of installing a proper Goiot Hatch, is probably 1/10 of 1% of the coast of the boat. The excuse of expense is not good enough. One point to remember about the Gigot hatch, there is one point when you are switching the direction of the opening of the hatch, when the hatch is attached to nothing. It could conceivably at this point, blow over board. Thus you should tie to the centre of the hatch a light wire lanyard going down to a pad eye in the cabin head, and so prevent it going adrift. A Gigot hatch with a dodger over it, is a real step forward. A problem with hatches and water on the modern fibreglass boats is the hatches are either absolutely flush with the deck. The least bit of water running across the deck goes straight below the open hatch. If opened under a dodger, in heavy weather inevitably some water drives under the dodger and comes down below. Just where you don't want it. The solution to this problem is to mount the hatch on a two inch high coaming. This will minimise the amount of water finding it's way down below. Of course there is nothing new in yachting. Back in the 1930s, the late Maurice Griffith designed the Griffith hatch. This was a wooden hatch with an inside coaming. See the sketch in Ocean Sailing Yacht Volume 1, page 281, sketch 112. A Griffith hatch, even without a dodger can be left partially open, gathering air and no water coming down below decks. Equipped with a dodger —as per sketch in OSY V.1, page 280, sketch 111— even in extremely heavy weather it can be left open. Then in storm conditions if you have to close the Griffith hatch, as there is an inner and outer coaming, it drains like a properly designed Dorade. Even if there is leaking gasket water will not come below decks. Besides hinging the Griffith hatch, so it can be opened forward or aft, the ultimate Griffith hatch has hinges on all four sides. When making a Trade Wind passage, on a beam reach and light airs, it can be opened facing to windward, and really suck in air, and if it blows up it can be facing to leeward, under a dodger, and still suck in plenty of air and no water. Hinges with removable pins are available from Jamestown Distributors Jamestown Distributors, 500 Wood Street, No. 15 Bristol Industrial Park, Jamestown, Rhode Island 02809. Phone: 001 401 423 2520 Fax: 001 402 423 0542 Catalogue No. PBI 1192 Needless to say when putting hinges on all four sides of the hatch it is very difficult to get them lined up perfectly, so the pins will fit easily. The way to ease this situation is to drill out the male portion of the hatch, from 5/16ths to 3/8ths fore you fasten the hinges in place. Thus even if there is a little misalignment, the pins can still be inserted. The ultimate four way opening hatch was designed by Jay Parris for the yacht Lonestar. This hatch appeared in Sail magazine in their June 200 issue. The information on the hatch can be obtained from J. Paris J. Paris P. O. Box 459 Brunswick Maine 04011 U.S.A. Presently this is a custom made item and costs a God awful fortune. But if you have a boat worth $1million, the cost of the ultimate four way hatch is very small in proportion to the cost of the yacht. Also, if a boat builder such as Swan, Rassey, Baltic, were to order those hatches in quantity the price would certainly come down to where the yachtsman could afford a J Paris or four way opening hatch. The proper hatch should suck large quantities of air below decks, both in port and at sea. It should be protected with a good dodger either snapped around a 1-inch high coaming, or on a flush deck boat, made with a bolt rope fed into a aluminium or wooden bolt rope. See Ocean Sailing Yacht Volume 1, page 245. That will allow air get down below and minimise the chances of water going below, even in heavy weather. You can sort out ventilation with good Dorade ventilators and proper hatches, and you will minimise sea sickness among the crew. Remember was Dr. Samuel Johnson—the author of the first English dictionary stated — A sure cure for sea sickness is to find yourself a big oak tree and rap your arms around it.

WHAT THEY WON'T PRINT

Few if any Editors of yachting magazines, designers, builders, salesmen, yacht brokerages sailed and/or raced in the hey day of Cruise Racing in the 1950s to the 1970s...d

I often discuss the fact that the vast majority of modern yachts are uninhabitable at sea. Many of us feel the reason for this is that the present generation of designers, builders and salesmen were not sailing in the hey day of overnight/off shore racing. The hey day of this type of racing was done in the middle 1950s to the middle 1970s. In those days the cruiser racer practically never raced around the buoys. All the races were overnight or longer. The short races would start off at the yacht club on a Friday evening, have supper/dinner served up underway, 95% of the time on a gimballed table. Cooked on a properly gimballed stove. The off watch went in to sleep in bunks properly fitted with bunk boards or lee canvases. Below deck was properly ventilated. The Off Watch never went on deck unless they were called. If they stuck their noses up on deck without being called the On Watch would feel very insulted and would make comments such as "What the hell's the matter? Don't you think we know how to run our watch?" The races took were over night, or two nights. Then of course there were the longer ones such as the Bermuda Race and Transatlantic Races, etc. Often at the end of a race one boat would gloat on how they won, but other boats would be putting them down saying "what the hell, you may have won the race but we ate a hell of a lot better than you did." A good skipper spent as much time and energy recruiting a good cook as he did in recruiting a good Foredeck boss. In contrast today the cruiser racer spends a vast majority of its racing with the entire crew perched on the weather rail. No one goes below decks. Even on over night races, or longer races like the Fastnet, the entire crew perches on the weather rail for the entire race. Below decks the habitability has been completely forgotten about. This is not pointed out in yachting magazines Sail Tests articles—a subject I will come back to in some future date on this web site. Every month we will put out our version of any of several complaints yachtsmen have with all sorts of gear, rules, publications and theories that have been put out to the public and make suggestions as to why the yachtsmen don't like them, and how to fix the problems with them. Watch this space for: better yacht design better chart accuracy innovative ideas on cruising comfort better safety gear and lots more.....

First refuelling for Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP

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The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactor units. In such reactors, nuclear fuel is not replaced in the same way as in standard NPPs – partial replacement of fuel once every 12-18 months. Instead, once every few years the entire reactor core is replaced with and a full load of fresh fuel.

The KLT-40S reactor cores have a number of advantages compared with standard NPPs. For the first time, a cassette core was used, which made it possible to increase the fuel cycle to 3-3.5 years before refuelling, and also reduce by one and a half times the fuel component in the cost of the electricity produced. The operating experience of the FNPP provided the basis for the design of the new series of nuclear icebreaker reactors (series 22220). Currently, three such icebreakers have been launched.

The Akademik Lomonosov was connected to the power grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020.

Electricity generation from the FNPP at the end of 2023 amounted to 194 GWh. The population of Pevek is just over 4,000 people. However, the plant can potentially provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000. The FNPP solved two problems. Firstly, it replaced the retiring capacities of the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya Thermal Power Plant, which is more than 70 years old. It also supplies power to the main mining enterprises located in western Chukotka. In September, a 490 km 110 kilovolt power transmission line was put into operation connecting Pevek and Bilibino.

Image courtesy of TVEL

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Stills from footage circulating on Telegram early on Thursday morning. Bright flashes lit up the night sky in southern Moscow, new footage appears to show, following reports of an explosion at an electrical substation on the outskirts of the city.

IMAGES

Don Street’s Famous Yacht Iolaire Lost off Ibiza
New book tells story of Iolaire disaster 100 years on
Iolaire
Iolaire
Photographic exhibition of striking memorial to HMY Iolaire opens on
Iolaire

VIDEO

super yacht
This exploration yacht is AMAZING
Màiri NicIllinnein
The Iolaire

COMMENTS

HMY Iolaire
HMY Iolaire was an Admiralty Yacht that sank at the entrance to Stornoway harbour on 1 January 1919, with the loss of at least 201 men out of the 283 on board. The overcrowded vessel was trying to negotiate a difficult route under exceptionally bad weather conditions. The disaster cost the Isle of Lewis almost the whole of its young male population.
The Iolaire Disaster
The Iolaire Disaster. At 1.55am on 1st January 1919, a naval yacht carrying sailors home on leave rang aground on rocks near the village of Holm, a mere 20 yards from the shore of the Isle of Lewis and less than a mile from the safe harbour of Stornoway. HMY Iolaire was crowded with 280 men, mostly naval reservists returning to the safety and ...
The sinking of H M Yacht Iolaire, 1 January 1919
The Iolaire Disaster Fund. In response to the disaster, on 6 January an all-male committee was formed 'to provide assistance for the dependants of men who lost their lives in the wreck of His Majesty's yacht 'Iolaire' at the entrance of Stornoway Harbour'. The Iolaire Disaster Fund was quickly constituted and opened to public ...
The Iolaire disaster: The 'crowning sorrow of the war'
The Iolaire had been a luxury yacht before the war, sailing under the name of the Amalthaea. It was used by the navy in anti-submarine and patrol work and was renamed the Iolaire - Gaelic for "Eagle".
The sinking of the Iolaire
The Iolaire (Gaelic for 'Eagle') had been built in 1881 and was a luxury yacht before the War. She weighed 634 tons (without guns) and had been used in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic, but on New Year's Eve 1918 she was in the port of Kyle of Lochalsh as hundreds of men from Lewis and Harris emptied out of trains that had brought ...
'Tears are just below the surface': Iolaire tragedy remembered
In heavy seas and a pitch-black night, an overcrowded steam yacht taking them home on leave, the Iolaire, struck a treacherous reef known as the Beasts of Holm in the early hours of New Year's ...
Iolaire Disaster
1st January 1919. The loss of His Majesty's Yacht Iolaire in the early hours of New Year's Day 1919 is undoubtedly the most tragic single occurrence to befall the combined island of Lewis and Harris. In all 174 Lewismen and seven Harrismen were drowned at the Beasts of Holm in sight of the Stornoway harbour lights with many bodies not ...
Story: THE SINKING OF HMY "IOLAIRE"
THE SINKING OF HMY "IOLAIRE". HM Yacht "Iolaire" was carrying seamen who had fought in and survived the First World, War back to their homes on the Scottish island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. She left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland late on the evening of 31 December 1918. At 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, as the ship approached ...
Iolaire: Remembering the tragedy off Islay that claimed the lives of
The sinking of the Iolaire outside Stornoway harbour in the early hours of January 1, 1919, rightly preoccupies Scottish minds when we consider the shipping catastrophes associated with World War I, but in strictly numerical terms, the sinking of HMS Otranto was worse - 205 died on the Iolaire, while an estimated 470 people, the majority of them American soldiers, died in the sea off Islay ...
The Loss of HM Yacht Iolaire 1st January 1919
Above: The Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire under the name 'Amalthaea' Image credit: Ness Historical Society, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) The Iolaire finally left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the Scottish mainland late on 31 December 1918. On board were around 254 returning servicemen, many of whom had served in the Royal Naval Reserve ...
Portraits recall Iolaire disaster near Stornoway in 1919
An award-winning artist is painting portraits of 100 of the 201 men who lost their lives in the Western Isles' Iolaire disaster of 1 January 1919. The naval yacht HMY Iolaire was carrying home ...
DON STREET'S IOLAIRE: Lost On the Coast of Ibiza
On January 1, 1919, due to bad seamanship, the large steam yacht Iolaire, with over 200 servicemen returning from WWI aboard, hit rocks at the entrance to Stornaway harbour and sank with massive loss of life. One hundred years and seven months later on July 26, 2019, the 89th birthday of Don Street, the 46-foot yawl Iolaire was lost on the NE ...
Stornoway Iolaire disaster event to be live streamed
The naval yacht Iolaire was wrecked on a reef near Stornoway. An event to be held this month to remember the Western Isles' Iolaire maritime disaster of 1 January 1919 is to be streamed live online.
Sinking of HMY Iolaire
HMY IOLAIRE - LIST OF ALL ABOARD AT 1am 1st JANUARY 1919. Compiled by Malcolm Macdonald, Secretary, Stornoway Historical Society - 20 February 2006. Click on an underlined status (Drowned/Saved) to view an image of the headstone at the cemetery, if available. Click on an underlined surname to see a portrait image of the person concerned.
Engineering:HMY Iolaire
Yacht. HMY Iolaire was an Admiralty Yacht that sank at the entrance to Stornoway harbour on 1 January 1919, with the loss of at least 201 men out of the 283 on board. The overcrowded vessel was trying to negotiate a difficult route under exceptionally bad weather conditions. The disaster cost the Isle of Lewis almost the whole of its young male ...
Donald M. Street Jr.
Since 1964 all other guide authors have followed in Street's and Iolaire's wake, avoiding the rocks and shoals Street and Iolaire discovered" —Patience Wales, former Editor Sail magazine. ... Thus Besso is fully equipped to arrange all the various types of coverage that a yacht may need, hull, liability, crew insurance,health,accident, loss ...
First refuelling for Russia's Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP
Rosatom's fuel company TVEL has supplied nuclear fuel for reactor 1 of the world's only floating NPP (FNPP), the Akademik Lomonosov, moored at the city of Pevek, in Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The supply of fuel was transported along the Northern Sea Route. The first ever refuelling of the FNPP is planned to begin before the end of ...
15 men brought to military enlistment office after mass brawl in Moscow
The New Voice of Ukraine. Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram channel Shot reported. 29 people were also taken to police stations. Among the arrested were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.
Yuzhny prospekt, 6к1, Elektrostal
Get directions to Yuzhny prospekt, 6к1 and view details like the building's postal code, description, photos, and reviews on each business in the building
Strange Glow Over Moscow Skies Triggers Panic as Explosions Reported
B right flashes lit up the night sky in southern Moscow in the early hours of Thursday morning, new footage appears to show, following reports of an explosion at an electrical substation on the ...