Bay of Panama

A four-masted steel ship built in 1883 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, as hull no. 164. Her dimensions were 89,61×12,87×7,38 meters [294'0"×42'3"×24'3"] and tonnage 2365 GRT and 2282 NRT. Equipped with floors and lower deck beams of iron. The forecastle was 37 ft long and the poop 54 ft. Rigged with double top- and topgallant sails and royal sails.

1883 November 14: Launched at the shipyard of Harland & Wolff, Belfast. Assigned the Official British Reg. No. 89507 and signal JDBF.
1884 January 12: Delivered to J. Bullock, London.
1887-1891: In command of Captain Wright.
1891 March 9: Stranded during a severe snow storm at Penare Point, Cornwall, on a return voyage from Calcutta to Dundee with a cargo of jute. Captain Wright and his wife, the steward, cook and four apprentices lost their lives when the deckhouse was washed off the ship. The next morning 17 men out of a crew of 40 were saved from the rigging with the help of a rocket propelled line. Her jute cargo was later salvaged and the bronze bell was presented to the Chapel in Helford.

Updated 2000-08-30 by Lars Bruzelius.

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