SS NUBIA

Above ... Workers of Ramage and Ferguson, builders of the Nubia (Date unknown)

Identification and research by Paul Hennessey (Norfolk Wreck Research)

SS NUBIA

and the remains of an unknown wooden wreck

Position ... 52 51 152 N / 001 35 755 E

Type ... Cargo, Counter stern, Plumb bow, x4 holds, Machinery midships

Built ... 1895

Construction ... Steel

Official number ... 104913

Tonnage ... Gross 1173, Under deck 827, Net 556

Builder ... Ramage & Ferguson Ltd, Leith, Scotland (Yard no 136)

Engine builder ... Ramage & Ferguson Ltd, Leith, Scotland

Dimensions ... 244.1 x 33.1 x 14.9 feet. Poop 24 feet, quarter deck 73 feet, Forecastle 27 feet

Engine ... Three cylinder triple expansion. Cylinders Hp 21, Ip 34, Lp 55 x 36 inch stroke 205 nhp

Boiler ... x1 single ended multi tubular drum type. Furnaces x4 ribbed

Screw ... x1. Diameter 14 feet, pitch 16 feet, blades 4

Lost ... 23rd January 1915

Cause ... Collision

Depth ... 23mtrs

Identification

For many years the site of the Nubia has been believed to be by local dive groups the wreck located at the position 52 50 586 N / 001 32 009, this being several miles west of what is now believed to be the positively identified site of the Nubia. Of note the position above ( 52 50 586 N / 001 32 009 E) is also stated as being the site of the Nubia in the book The Ship Wrecks off North East Norfolk. In the summer of 2023 Paul Hennessey of Norfolk Wreck Research conducted a dive on the site thought to be that of the Nubia by local dive groups. Immediately it became apparent that the site being dived was not that of the Nubia. The Nubia's build specifies that the vessel was fitted with a single boiler fitted with four ribbed furnaces. The site being dived showed itself to hold two single ended boilers, each being fitted with two corrugated furnaces. With this in mind and the site that was thought to be that of Nubia now being dismissed and in turn becoming an unknown, the question was, where is the Nubia? In 2022 a site several miles to the east that was believed to be the Workman Clark built Clansman proved itself to be miss identified when the correct Clansman was identified several miles to the north in a combined effort between Norfolk Wreck Research and the BSAC club Anglian Divers, branch number EAB 11, this in turn now making the site that was previously thought to be that of the Clansman an unknown. Further research in to the build specification of the Nubia, this including boiler dimensions plus furnace sizes and type showed themselves to match what was originally thought to be that on the site of the miss identified Clansman. Further research by Norfolk Wreck Research found that in 1993 a bell had been raised from a site in very close proximity to what is now believed to be the correct site for the Nubia. It is now thought that the miss identified Clansman site and the site from which the bell was raised are one in the same and that the position at the head of this page is the correct position for the Nubia.

Ramage & Ferguson Ltd, builders of the Nubia.

The company was established in 1877 near the west pier on the river Leith (Scotland) Prior to setting up the company Richard Ramage had worked for the renowned ship builders of Dumbarton, William Denny & Brothers. The first vessel launched by Ramage and Ferguson was in February 1878. During the 1870's the company constructed vessels of iron, however from sometime during the 1880's the company replaced iron with steel. The company continued to prosper up until the latter part of the first quarter of the 1900's. Sadly due to the depression in the 1930's the company went out of business due to a general lack in orders. The last vessel built by Ramage and Ferguson was the auxillary barquentine Mercator in 1933.

Left ... basic workings of a triple expansion engine as fitted in the Nubia. Red, steam from the boilers enters the high pressure cylinder (Hp), yellow, steam from the Hp cylinder enters the intermediate pressure cylinder (Ip), blue, steam from the Ip cylinder enters the low pressure cylinder (Lp) from here the low pressure steam leaves the engine and is fed into a surface condenser. In the condenser, the steam is cooled and returned to its liquid state as it meets the cold water tubes within the condenser. From here the water is fed back into the boiler for re-use. To the left of each con rod can be seen the valve gear, this opening and shutting the cylinder valves. The type of valve gear most favoured at the time was the Stephensons valve gear, as featured in the diagram (note the eccentrics on the crank)

Ownership history

Built in 1895 for the Hull & Hamburg Steam Packet Company. The company retained ownership of the Nubia until the time of her loss in 1915.

Circumstances of loss

Whilst en Route from the Tyne to Cherbourg with a cargo of coal the Nubia was in collision with the steamer Abbas. Conditions at the time were described as being that of dense fog. The Abbas suffered extensive damage to her bows during the collision, however unlike the Nubia the incident was not to prove fatal for the Abbas. All members of the Nubia's crew were taken aboard the Abbas and were then later transferred to the steamer Mermaid which then took the crew on to Yarmouth.

The Nubia today

If conditions do not allow anything further off shore, the Nubia makes for a good plan B at only 3 miles out of Sea palling. On a sand and broken shell seabed, the wreck sits in a max depth of 25mtrs. Her highest point is her large boiler complete with x4 ribbed furnaces, this standing some 4mtrs high. The boiler is slightly over to its port side, no doubt this being how either the wreck settled on the seabed at the time of her sinking or has rolled out of the wreck slightly. For the most part what now remains of the hull is made up of broken ribs and plates lining the seabed with some sections giving a height of no more than 1mtr or so. Forward of the boiler can be found a large winch and anchor along with a large pile of anchor chain.

Remains of unknown wooden wreck ... Left ( Admiralty pattern anchor as seen on the wreck)

In the summer of 2020, whilst attempting to get a grapnel hook into the wreck listed at the position at the head of the page, the grapnel caught fast on wreckage that was assumed to be that of the targeted wreck, though this being slightly off the main wreckage. On descending the shot line it was found that the grapnel had in fact snagged an old Admiralty pattern anchor, this showing itself to be about 6 feet long , metal stocked and with curved arms. The immediate seabed to the north had timber protruding up through the sand by about 12 inches or so, this continuing for some 20 feet along the seabed. Close to the anchor and slightly to the south, there is approximately 30mtrs of anchor chain laid out accross the seabed. This is not attached to the anchor, so could well have come from the targeted wreck site as both wrecks almost sit on top of each other. Having said this, on following the anchor chain away from the area where the anchor is located, the chain eventually disappears in to the sandy seabed. At this point a small amount of timber work is to be found protruding through the sand, this being no more than a few inches high. In conducting a sweep search of the area no other wreckage showed itself.

Dating of wreck

Although all but nothing now remains of the wreck above the sandy seabed in order to allow an approximate dating of the vessel, the anchor itself offers a clue as to the vessels history. As stated, the arms on the anchor are curved. Prior to the arms on anchors of this design being curved, the arms would have been straight. During the early 19th century curved arms were introduced into the design, this coming into effect in the late 1830's - 1840's. From the evidence offered from the anchors design, it is highly probable that she is of 19th century build, some time after the first quarter onwards??

Conclusion

The stricken vessel was of wooden construction, probably sail as no evidence of boilers or engine were located. All but a small amount of the vessel is to be seen above the seabed, this taking the form of what looked to be ribs, remaining hull now buried in the sand.