Summary
The site comprises the wreck of an iron screw steamer, located on a sandy seabed in approximately 24m of water. The Otter foundered on 20 February 1873 while en route from Newcastle to Antwerp with a general cargo and passengers, following a collision with the iron schooner rigged steamer J. H. Lorentzen. The surviving material on the seabed comprises the remains of an iron hulled cargo vessel, including the largely intact overhead twin beamed geared engine along with a low-pressure box type boiler. The wreck is largely buried by sand.
Reasons for Designation
The wreck of the Otter, located approximately 10km off Happisburgh, is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Period: the screw steamer Otter is highly representative of the mid-C19 period, which saw a rapid development in marine steam technology;
* Rarity: the Otter is a rare early example of a screw steamer powered by an overhead twin beamed geared engine along with a low-pressure box type boiler. This type of machinery became obsolete in the mid-C19 with the development of the compound engine, and subsequently the triple expansion engine;
* Potential: the wreck retains unique information regarding early experimentation in the propulsion systems of screw-driven steamships;
* Vulnerability: elements of the wreck and mobile artefacts exposed on the seabed remain vulnerable to uncontrolled salvage and theft.
History
The site comprises the remains of an iron hulled cargo vessel, located approximately 10km NE of Happisburgh. The Otter was an iron screw steamer constructed by Robert Steele and Co. at Greenock. The Otter was fitted with an early example of an overhead twin beamed geared engine, built by Randolph Elder and Co. of Govan. Geared beam engines were a transitional phase between early paddle steamer engines and compound engines. Beam engines operated at low speed, and were most suitable for operating paddle wheels. They did not provide enough revolutions per minute to power a screw propeller at sufficient speed to propel a screw propeller through the water. In order to increase speed a gearing system was incorporated into the design. Randolph Elder & Co were at the forefront of this development, and the engine of the Otter was quickly superseded by more modern designs.
The Otter was launched on the 4 April 1855 and completed on 25 June 1855. Originally named Plover, the ship was intended for G & J Burns of Glasgow, but was never put into service. The builders eventually sold the ship to Ormston and Dobson of Newcastle. The Otter was subsequently sold onto the Tyne Steam Shipping Company, who were the owners at the time of loss.
The Otter was lost in thick fog on the 20 February 1873 following a collision with the steamer J. H. Lorentzen which was at anchor in the Wold, between Mundesley and Happisburgh. At the time of loss, the Otter was en route from Newcastle to Antwerp with a general cargo including copper and machinery. The vessel was proceeding slowly at 8:00 AM, attempting to cross the bows of the J. H. Lorentzen, but was carried by the ebb tide against the other ships’ bows, and was cut down to the water’s edge. The crew of the Otter attempted to stop the hole by inserting bedding from the outside, but the pumps could not drain the water quickly enough and the ship sank within half an hour.
During the subsequent enquiry the crew of the Otter was found to be at fault as the vessel should have dropped anchor earlier as the conditions deteriorated. There were no fatalities during the collision, and all of the crew and passengers of the Otter were taken on board the J. H. Lorentzen, and subsequently landed at Yarmouth Roads.
The Otter was subjected to an extensive program of salvage by Mr John Gann & Co. of Whitstable over the following years. During 1873 Gann deployed divers from two cutters, Mandamus and New Dart, and continued to undertake intermittent salvage activity in 1874 from the cutter Providence. The greater portion of the cargo of copper and machinery was recovered from the wreck and landed at Great Yarmouth.
The wreck was first reported as an obstruction during the 1940s. It was investigated and positively identified by divers in the late 1980s, through the recovery of ceramics and cutlery bearing the name of the vessel. The wreck was last surveyed by the UKHO in 2014.
Details
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: Recent diver investigation by Norfolk Wreck Research indicates that the wreck is largely buried in the sandy seabed. The low-pressure box type boiler and overhead twin beamed geared engine are still visible, providing a rare example in the development of marine steam propulsion from the early to mid 1800s. Most vessels built prior to the widespread adoption of compound engines and high-pressure boilers would have subsequently been refitted with the more economical engines. The engine of the Otter is largely intact with its two beams, connecting rods, pistons, cylinders and other fittings still in-situ. The box type boiler also survives, and is a rare example of a boiler design predating the use of high pressure drum type boilers.
DESCRIPTION: The wreck lies in a general depth of 24m, and has been positively identified by the recovery of ceramics and cutlery bearing the name of the vessel. The site was last surveyed in 2014, recording the wreck in this position to be approximately 56m long, 9m wide, 4.5m high, and orientated at approximately 140/320 degrees. The steering gear and propeller are believed to be buried in the surrounding seabed.
SCHEDULED AREA: 75m within 52 54.853 N, 001 34.786 E (WGS84).
