SS Bayardo (1911)

SS Bayardo was a British refrigerated cargo ship that ran aground and was wrecked on the Middle Sand in the Humber Estuary, near Hull, United Kingdom on 21 January 1912 while she was travelling from Gothenburg, Sweden to Hull, United Kingdom carrying general cargo.^[1]

Bayardo wrecked on the Middle Sand.
History
Name	Bayardo
Owner	Thomas Wilson Sons & Co.
Port of registry	Hull, United Kingdom
Builder	Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
Yard number	576
Launched	29 May 1911
Completed	1911
Acquired	1911
In service	1911–1912
Out of service	21 January 1912
Identification	Official number: 132256
Fate	Ran aground and wrecked on 21 January 1912 on the Middle Sand in the Humber.
General characteristics
Type	Refrigerated Cargo Ship
Tonnage	3,471 GRT
Length	100.9 metres (331 ft 0 in)
Beam	14.3 metres (46 ft 11 in)
Depth	8.2 metres (26 ft 11 in)
Installed power	1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine, 3 boilers
Propulsion	One screw propeller
Sail plan	Gothenburg - Hull
Speed	15 knots
Notes	Nicknamed The Queen of the Fleet for the Wilson Line.

Construction

Bayardo was built and completed in 1911 at the Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. shipyard in Hull, United Kingdom. The ship was 100.9 metres (331 ft 0 in) long, had a beam of 14.3 metres (46 ft 11 in) and had a depth of 8.2 metres (26 ft 11 in). She was assessed at 3,471 GRT and had a single 3-cyl. triple expansion engine driving a screw propeller as well as 3 boilers and a single smoke stack. The ship had a speed of 15 knots.^[2]

Grounding And Loss

Bayardo entered the Humber Estuary as part of the last leg of her voyage from Gothenburg, Sweden to Hull, United Kingdom on 21 January 1912 while carrying general cargo. The ship had already sailed this route on 12 other occasions, however on this day as the ship approached Hull, a dense fog limited visibility. Bayardo ran aground on the Middle Sand in the fog, opposite Alexander Dock in the Humber. Nobody was killed or injured in the incident and all passengers were safely evacuated to the shore. In an attempt to refloat her, many fittings were removed, but the strong tide had pushed the ship further onto the sandbank. When the tide ultimately fell the ship broke her back, deeming her a total loss.^[2]

Wreck

The wreck of Bayardo began to quickly break apart due to the waves crashing into her superstructure, and mostly sank into the mud of the riverbed, leaving only a part of the ship still exposed above the surface. By that point, most of her cargo had already been salvaged. After determining that the wreck posed a navigational hazard, Bayardo's remains were blown up and dispersed.^[3]

References

1. "S/S Bayardo, Wilson Line". norwayheritage.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
2. "SS Bayardo (+1912)". wrecksite.eu. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
3. Greenway (1986), p. 60