This is the information page about the shipwreck Politician (stern section), the water chart below shows the wreck in its immediate vicinity. The position of this wreck is 57 6.059 N,7 16.388 W (56.845766666667, -7.2305666666667)

The texts accompanying this shipwreck are in English 🇬🇧, as they are prepared by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) based on data from UKHO and the hydrographic services of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, among others. They include the known details of the wreck and the comments of the cartographers who have checked the position and condition of the wreck over time.

Name: POLITICIAN (STERN SECTION)

Length 143.6 meter, width: 17.7 meter, draught: 12.5, tonnage 7939 ton
Load: general and mixed goods,foodstuffs: liquid

Cause: ex-london merchant. built in 1923 by furness shipbuilding co. ltd, haverton hill-on-tees, with four boilers, screw engine, 2 steam turbines for 1004hp, single shaft. machinery by j brown & co. ltd, glasgow. owned at time of loss by charente ss co ltd. passage liverpool for new orleans. ran aground on rocks in fog and heavy weather. reported to be carrying 243,000 bottles of spirits. this loss was the inspiration for the novel 'whisky galore' by compton mackenzie. (sibi). charente ss co ltd was a subsidiary of thomas & james harrison, liverpool. presently owned by ss politician plc. (k mcdonald, diver magazine, nov '04).

Year of registration: 1941

Water depth above wreck: 5 meter, Height above seabed: 45 cm

Known since: 1941, last detected: 1994

Details measurements/cartography: STRANDED IN APPROX 570400N, 071630W [OGB]. (AUTHORITY NOT KNOWN). H1286/75 19.8.75 LIES IN 570607N, 071628W [OGB]. ONLY NO.5 HOLD AND PART OF PROP. SHAFT REMAINS. DOZENS OF BROKEN WHISKY BOTTLES ARE SCATTERED AMONGST HEAVY KELP WHICH OBSCURES THE WKGE. (D SLOAN, 31.7.75). H1309/75 8.1.76 STERN SECTION LOCATED IN SOUND OF ERISKAY IN POSN 069DEG [T], 2.5C FROM CALVAY ROCK. LEAST DEPTH OVER WK AT CHART DATUM WAS 1.0MTR. WK LIES ON AXIS NE/SW AND COVERS AN AREA 72 X 20MTRS. ENGINE ROOM FITTINGS AND A PROPELLER WERE LOCATED. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF CLEARANCE USING EXPLOSIVE DEMOLITION AND LITTLE REMAINS OF THE WRECK ABOVE THE KEEL OTHER THAN THE PROPELLER SHAFT AND OTHER ROBUST SECTIONS. FUEL OIL IS REPORTED STILL HELD WITHIN THE LOWER PART OF THE WK AND LOCAL FISHERMEN ARE ANXIOUS THAT FURTHER DISTURBANCE SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE. (ASADA, EXERCISE WRECK HUNTER, REPORT). H1280/15/77 ORIGINALLY AGROUND IN 570400N, 071630W [OGB]. STERN SECTION WAS TOWED SOME YEARS AGO TO SHELTERED POSN NEAR CALVAY ROCK AND SYSTEMATICALLY AND ILLEGALLY SALVAGED OF ALL NON-FERROUS METALS. APPARENTLY ABOUT 1000 TONS WRECKAGE REMAINS. COVERED IN KELP. (J MOOR, IOS). H1270/79 3.6.83 INS AS DW PA IN 570606N, 071612W [OGB]. BR STD. HH272/350/01 7.8.84 WK IS VIRTUALLY TOTALLY COVERED WITH SAND. ONLY SMALL AMOUNT REMAINING SUPERSTRUCTURE PROTRUDES ABOVE SEABED, IN GEN DEPTH 5MTRS. (LT M J LAW, REME). 22.1.87 POSITION TAKEN FROM AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY: 570604.5N, 071620W [OGB] ON PHOTOPLOT PG 1423-LP1. AMENDED TO TO NDW IN REVISED POSN. NE 2770. 20.3.89 SALVAGE OPERATION PLANNED FOR EARLY SUMMER BY MR DONALD MACPHEE TO RECOVER THE 2-7,000 CASES OF WHISKY AND JAMAICAN BANK NOTES THAT ARE STILL IN THE WK. MAST TOPS OF VESSEL ARE 30FT BELOW SURFACE WITH A FURTHER 50FT BETWEEN UPPER DECK AND KEEL. (D TELEGRAPH, 20.3.89). THIS DOES FIT WELL WITH PREVIOUS DESCRIPTIONS RECEIVED. HH272/350/01 31.1.90 FURTHER REFERENCE TO PROPOSED SALVAGE ATTEMPT TO BE ATTEMPTED SPRING 1990. (THE GUARDIAN, 13.12.89). HH272/350/01 4.4.90 HH272/350/01 4.4.90 TIMES, 20.3.90). HH100/351/08 10.8.94 LOCATED BY DIVER. WELL BROKEN, STANDS 1-2MTRS ABOVE SEABED. WELL COVERED IN KELP. (J LEIGH). 24.11.04 TONS OF SAND MOVED BY AIRLIFT AND STEEL PLATES LIFTED DURING SALVAGE OPERATIONS IN 1990. ONLY 24 BOTTLES RECOVERED. SAND HAS NOW DRIFTED BACK OVER WK TOGETHER WITH SEAWEED GROWTH. PHOTO OF VESSEL. (K MCDONALD, DIVER MAGAZINE, NOV '04).
Comment researcher: UK Hydrographic Office

Position: 57 6.059 N,7 16.388 W

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