This Belfast registered steamer developed a serious list in a south-easterly gale and rough seas 8 miles east by north of Wick, while on route from Londonderry to London, when its cargo of bog ore shifted. The Wick lifeboat, 'City of Edinburgh', slipped her moorings at 1.30pm and escorted the vessel for some time as she headed slowly southwards, her captain hoping to reach more sheltered water. But off Helman Head the steamer suddenly took on a much heavier list, her engines stopped and she began to drift towards the shore. The lifeboat-men rescued two elderly members of the crew using the breeches-buoy and then, as the ship appeared to be on the point of capsizing, Coxswain Stewart took the lifeboat in under the ships quarter. The heavy seas repeatedly smashed the lifeboat against the hull of the steamer and some damage was sustained. The remaining 11 members of the crew were rescued and they were all landed safely at Wick at 3.30pm.
The wreck today is a very popular dive out of Wick. The Dromara lies in about 15m of water and is well broken up. Still visible are her two boilers, her rudder and the remains of her large triple expansion engine. A spare cast-iron propellor can also be seen a little way to the north of the main part of the wreckage.
Her two scotch boilers used to be relatively intact, but during heavy storms that hit the east coast of Caithness in 2012 and 2013 one of the boilers rolled against an underwater cliff and was eventually smashed open revealing her smoke tubes.
The Dromara (ex Raylight) was built of steel in 1921. Her length was 181', width 30.7' and draught 13.5'. She was 723 tons gross, 291 tons net.
The wreck today is a very popular dive out of Wick. The Dromara lies in about 15m of water and is well broken up. Still visible are her two boilers, her rudder and the remains of her large triple expansion engine. A spare cast-iron propellor can also be seen a little way to the north of the main part of the wreckage.
Her two scotch boilers used to be relatively intact, but during heavy storms that hit the east coast of Caithness in 2012 and 2013 one of the boilers rolled against an underwater cliff and was eventually smashed open revealing her smoke tubes.
The Dromara (ex Raylight) was built of steel in 1921. Her length was 181', width 30.7' and draught 13.5'. She was 723 tons gross, 291 tons net.