Many people visiting Brancaster beach are mystified by the wreck which can be clearly seen on the west end of Scolt Island. The wreck is in three sections and is stranded on a sandbank at the entrance to Brancaster harbour, which is still a working fishing centre as well as home to the sailing club. The wreck is what remains of the SS Vina, which had a long and very colourful career.
The SS Vina was built in Scotland in 1894 for the trading company J.T.Salverton and Co. of Grangemouth, as one of two vessels ordered. The ship had a tonnage of 1021gt and was constructed of steel. It had a triple expansion steam engine of 99hp driving a single bronze propeller.
The ship had a long and distinguished career, carrying cargo between the east coast of England and the Baltic States from 1894 to 1940.
In 1940 the ship was requisitioned as a naval vessel, filled with concrete and wired with explosives. She was crewed by 12, and sent to Great Yarmouth to defend the port in the event of an invasion. The ship would have been sunk by explosives in Great Yarmouth harbour to block it in the event of an attack.
When the invasion threat was over the ship was requisitioned by the Ministry of War in 1943 and towed to Titchwell to be used as a target by the RAF, in particular to test a new cannon shell prior to the D-Day landings in 1944.
In 1944 a gale carried the ship, which was full of holes made by the cannon shells, to a sandbar at the entrance to Brancaster harbour, where the wreck can be seen today. The hull filled with water and the ship remained stranded on the sandbar, despite efforts to remove it. Although the wreck makes navigation into the harbour tricky, the strong tides have subsequently made it impossible to remove.
In 1957, a merchant purchased the wreck for scrap and had it cut into three pieces, but because of the tides, it still could not be moved. The bronze propeller blew off in the 1960s.
Today much care is needed by visitors trying to get to the wreck, as the tides remain treacherous: it is recommended that your view from a safe distance.
The Wash has been the home of RAF ranges since 1926, and RAF Holbeach continues in this role today, taking over from RAF Sutton Bridge and RAF Wainfleet. The picture shows the SS Vina as she is today.
If you would like to know more about the maritime events and wrecks off the North Norfolk Coast, could I recommend the excellent work of Sue Gresham, who has been working for the Blakeney Harbour Association and has produced a number of papers on shipping incidents off our coast. Her work can be accessed on: https://blakeneyharbourassociation.co.uk/harbour-history.
