The Stassa

There was no excuse for the navigation which put the 1685-ton Panamanian steamship Stassa on to the rocks some hours before dawn on 15 July, 1966, writes Kendall McDonald. The sea was calm, there was no fog, but as she ran down the Minch heading for the short cut between Skye and the Outer Hebrides, she drove straight on to Renish Point, South Harris.

Her voyage from Archangel in Russia to Limerick with a cargo of timber seemed over, but though the crew promptly abandoned ship, her master, his wife, the chief officer and the radio operator stayed aboard. The high tide in the afternoon lifted the Stassa off the rocks and the Stornoway lifeboat towed her into nearby Rodel Bay, where she anchored.

Any hopes the master might have had of continuing to Limerick were dashed when she filled with water until only her timber cargo kept her afloat. She took four days to sink. She turned on to her starboard side, her deck cargo of more timber broke free, and then she was gone.