Teal Duck

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

The Teal Duck, a wooden hulled steam fishing trawler, 9 net tons, 64 GRT, 25 L x 5 B x 3 D metres, built 1892, owner T. Melrose & J. Phillips, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, Captain G. Robinson, 8 crew. Registered North Shields, Tyne & Wear England, and while on a fishing trip out of that port was wrecked on the South Ness, Foula, with the loss of all hands, on March 5th 1899.

According to a local account, the night in question was of heavy weather with snow showers, and the vessel was presumably sheltering. The Captain had anchored a lit buoy, and was maintaning his position by steaming up to it, then allowing his vessel to drift away on the weather and swell before repeating. Whether the light extinguished, or whether the buoy broke loose, or even was lost from sight due to snow, one can only speculate, however sometime before midnight the Captain lost his bearings and went ashore on the South Ness. The grounding caused the vessel's boilers to explode, and in the process, although the deck remained intact, split the hull apart at stem and stern so that it resembled a fully opened book.