SHIPWRECKS & GROUNDINGS “Stora-Korsnas”

STORA-KORSNAS        LINK I, ex NERLANDIA, ex JOLLY ORO, ex TOR NERLANDIA Date of Loss: 5th November 1991
Depth: 38m (Lowest astronomical depth)
Reference: 54 37’.600 N 000 53’.358 W
Location: 3.5 miles N of Skinningrove

STORA-KORSNAS I (Official No.7230680) was a steel roll-on/roll-off container ship of 5,018-tons gross that was registered in Nacka, Sweden and measured: 163.50m by length, a 21.00m-beam & a 7.10m-draught. Framnäs Mekaniske Verksted, Sandefjord, Norway built her as Yard No.180 and launched her as the TOR NERLANDIA in July 1972; she was delivered to Triport Shipping, London in November 1972. Her two steel propellers and two bow thrust propellers were powered by 12,000hp, 12-cylinder diesel/oil engines that were installed aft and manufactured by Pielstick/Lindholmen Motor AB of Goteborg; they gave a speed of 18.5-knots. She had two decks and stern door ramps.

In November 1972, the ship was chartered to Tor Line and was in service to/from Göteborg – Middle/Central Europe.
In March 1976 in service on Middle Eastern routes.
In August 1976, the ship was lengthened in Vlissingen, Holland by 26.7m
In 1970 she was chartered by Foss Shipping Ltd., London in service between Rotterdam – Antwerpen – Bremen – Felixstowe – Jeddah – Damman – Dubai – Hodeidah – Port Sudan – Kuwait – Aqaba & Yenbu.

     In 1980 sold to Intermodel Shipping Service Inc., Panama and renamed NERLANDIA
In May 1980 chartered to Ignazio Messina & Cie., Neapel, Italy and renamed JOLLY ORO.

     In January 1986 transferred to Orcoconsult Shipping Co Ltd, Panama and named NERLANDIA.
In January 1986 she was laid up at Genoa, Italy.

     In January 1987 sold to Sea-Link, Nacka, Sweden, who was the owner at the time of loss.
On 28 January 1987 arrived at Wärtsilä Oy, Åbo, Finland for rebuilding and renamed STORA KORSNÄS LINK I.

Final voyage:

While off Teesbay on 5 November 1991, the engine room of STORA-KORSNAS  I caught fire. The vessel was on a voyage from Gefle to Chatham with a cargo of timber, large rolls of news printing paper and Sodium Chlorate.The fire soon became intense and quickly spread out of control through the cargo holds. After a series of violent explosions, the crew abandoned ship, 3-miles off Skinningrove.She burnt for five days, helped by her cargo of wood and giant paper rolls and then on the 10th November, there was a huge explosion and the vessel foundered, but with no loss of life.
The wreck lies in navigable waters and when divers surveyed her, she was found to be above the required clearance depth and declared a shipping hazard. Following a restriction order in August 1991, the wreck was reduced in height.

Accreditation Daily Mirror 08/07/1992

The following is a story that appeared in the ‘DAILY MIRROR’ on Wednesday 8th July 1992:

By a Mirror Reporter:
“SHIP SCOTCH SPIRITED OFF BY PIRATES”
Underwater pirates plundered a shipwreck, making off with all the baccy and booze, it was revealed yesterday. Official divers found hundreds of bottles of bonded scotch had been spirited away…just like the film ‘Whiskey Galore’. So had a consignment of cigarettes and anything else the sub aqua looters could remove. An exclusion zone was thrown around the STORA KORSNA  after it sank near Skinningrove, Cleveland, eight-months ago. But salvage firm boss John Noble said yesterday, “There is just the skeleton of a ship down there”. His divers found that the ship’s bell, wheel and even the brass screws from portholes had been taken by cheeky amateurs. And the bond store was empty, he said “They had taken everything that was not screwed down and many things that were”. The bonded goods had been loaded for the skipper and his crew only.