Sygna Shipwreck
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The Sygna was a 53,000 tonne Norwegian bulk carrier, which ran aground on Stockton Beach, New South Wales on May 26, 1974.
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[edit] Sygna Accident
During May 1974 the NSW coast was being battered by large storms which brought heavy swells to both Sydney and Newcastle ports. Newcastle port reported a swell of over 17 meters at the entrance.
The Sygna was on her maiden voyage, with a load of 50,000 tonnes of coal destined for Europe at the time of the accident. She was anchored four km off Newcastle when the Bureau of Meteorology issued a storm warning and directive for ships to move out to sea. Seven of the ten ships anchored off Newcastle did so, however the Sygna was not one of them.
Early the following morning with wind gusting at 165km/h, the captain issued orders to move set sail. Unfortunately even with her engines at full-ahead she was unable to make any headway, and the storm turned her parallel to the beach. It is reported with in 30 minutes she had run aground on Stockton Beach.
With heavy seas pounding the stricken ship her captain radioed a Mayday and gave the order to abandon ship, A Iroquois helicopter from RAAF Williamtown’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron flown by Flt Lt Gary McFarlane, attended the scene and slowly rescued the 31 trapped sailors from the wreckage, in near cyclone conditions. Fortunately no one was injured of killed in the incident. Gary McFarlane was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC), with other members of his crew receiving commendations, for their heroic efforts during the rescue.
[edit] Environmental Impact
The Sygna lost approximately 700 tonnes of oil during the accident. This oil was mostly dispersed by the heavy seas, and as such no cleanup or recovery action was undertaken.
In November 1974 another salvage attempt was made of the stern of the Sygna. This caused a very heavy oil spillage, which spread along a 16km stretch of Stockton Beach. Bulldozers attempted to bury the oil in the sand above the high water mark.
[edit] Salvage Operations
After the storm had subsided the salvage operation was commenced. The ship was swung around, which caused the heavier stern section to sink into deeper water. This caused the ship to break its back.
On 4 September a salvage team led by Japanese millionaire Kitoku Yamada refloated the ship after repairing several holes in the hull and then pumping out thousands of tonnes of water. The stern section was refloated first, followed by the bow, which had been resting deep in the sand. The bow remained afloat but unfortunately for the salvagers the stern again went aground about 80 metres out from the beach and gradually settled in the sand as salvage crews stripped it of all items of value.
After lying in Salamander Bay, Port Stephens, for almost two years the bow section was towed away and broken up in Taiwan. The stern lies to this day on Stockton beach.
[edit] 30 years on
Over the last 30 years the ship has slowly been decaying from the harsh elements in its environment, However it remains as an icon and landmark for the local area. According to the Newcastle port authority The Sygna is the last of 59 ships which have been lost on the Newcastle shore.
[edit] References
- Australian Martime Safety Authority[[2]]
- Newcastle Ports Corporation[[3]]
