Calm weather and smooth seas is not the sort of weather in which you would expect a ship to be wrecked. But these conditions, combined with strong tides, sealed the fate of the full-rigged ship Cumberland on the 21^st June 1815. The Cumberland drifted about for two days; all the time getting closer to the rocky shores of the island. As her Captain became more aware of the danger, the ship’s boat was put out to try and tow her clear of the shore but by this time it was too late. The strong flood tide running on the west side of the island forced the Cumberland onto a sunken rock and she quickly filled with water and sank, but not before the Revenue Cruiser Wickham came alongside and took off the crew and some of the cargo of rum and coffee. The Cumberland was bound from Jamaica to her home port of Greenock with a general cargo. She was built in Whitehaven in 1800.

Diving information – The Cumberland was wrecked on the submerged rock just off the point of the Cloch-a-duths in Church Bay. As the Cumberland lay on the rocks most of her cargo was removed but a large quantity of broken china can be seen around the wreck site as well as the usual copper fastenings from a wooden vessel. It is quite possible that another vessel was wrecked here as well because three large brass row-locks with naval markings on them were found at the same place.

It is best to dive this wreck with the last two hours of flood tide as you will get a good three hours of slack, the depth ranges from 4 to 8 metres around the wreck site. The bottom is covered in quite dense kelp. Visibility is good.