- The SV Carl was a fully rigged Hamburg, Germany registered sailing vessel built in Maryport, Cumbria in 1893
- It was impounded at the outbreak of the First World War and sent from Cardiff docks to London for scrapping
- While being towed to London it ran aground during a storm in October 1917 and broke apart on the rocks
- It was buried by sand at Booby’s Bay in Padstow and then later partially exposed during winter storms
The ghostly remains of a First World War German shipwreck that ran aground in Cornwall more than a century ago are revealed at low tide after storms batter the coast.
The sailing vessel, called the SV Carl, was being towed by the Royal Navy to be broken up for scrap when it got stuck on a reef in 1917.
It was buried under the sand at Booby’s Bay in Padstow more than a century ago but over heavy storms over Christmas removed enough sand to expose metal ribs from its 60ft steel hull.
When it is exposed it is only visible at low tide ‘for an hour or so’ before the sand comes back and covers it over again.
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A First World War German shipwreck has been uncovered by recent storms at a Cornish beach more than a century after it became stranded on a reef while being towed by the Royal Navy
It is believed that the SV (Sailing Vessel) Carl, which was built in Maryport, Cumbria in 1893, and registered in Hamburg, was impounded at the start of the First World War in 1914, as it was a German ship in Cardiff docks
Archive photo of the wrecked SV Carl when it was beached at Booby’s Bay, Cornwall. There has even been speculation that that the ship was suspected of being an enemy minelayer
The SV Carl was a three masted ship, with one of the masts now clearly exposed and still mostly in tact. Timbers are also visible during storms buried in tidal pools.
It was built in Cumbria in 1893 and registered in Hamburg but was impounded in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War.
This was due to the fact it was a German registered ship in Cardiff docks.
There has even been speculation that that the ship was suspected of being an enemy minelayer before it was impounded.
During a fierce storm on October 7th 1917, the Carl broke free whilst being towed to London to be broken up for scrap, and grounded on a reef at Booby’s Bay near Padstow
There are large parts of the metal hull visible on the beach after being exposed by storms before Christmas
During a ‘fierce storm’ on October 7th, 1917 the ship broke free whilst being towed to London to be broken up for scrap.
When the Carl was declared a loss after breaking up on the rocks, the majority of the ship that could be easily taken away was salvaged.
However, it wasn’t long before the remains of the hull were covered in sand, hiding the majority of the wreck for most of the year.
It was buried under the sand at Booby’s Bay in Padstow more than a century ago but is often uncovered during winter storms, with some or all of it exposed
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Locals say it is often exposed in winter as the sand is washed away by storms, but the ship is quickly covered over again as the sand returns – sometimes within hours.
These photos of the steel structure were captured when it became exposed before Christmas 2019 during a storm.
In 2014 a major storm saw three foot of sand removed from the beach, exposing more of the wreck than usual.
More than 100 years after running aground the metal ribs of the 60ft steel-hulled SV Carl began emerging from the sand just before Christmas 2019
Parts of the ship are exposed every year during storms, but locals say 2014 saw more of the ship exposed than in any previous year
These latest photos show significant portions of the ship, including parts of the masts and its metal hull
Locals say they see parts of it exposed during storms every year, but the amount exposed has been increased since 2014.
In a letter sent to the Padstow Echo in 1966, Lieutenant Commander Langford of the Royal Navy, recalled his mother’s eyewitness account of the SV Carl coming aground at Booby’s Bay and the tugs that tried to refloat her.
‘The Carl went aground on the outer reef. Two Admiralty tugs came from Devonport to try to refloat her’, Lieutenant Langford wrote in his letter.
Locals say it is often exposed in winter as the sand is washed away by storms, but the ship is quickly covered over again as the sand returns – sometimes within hours
In a letter sent to the Padstow Echo in 1966, Lieutenant Commander Langford of the Royal Navy, recalled his mother’s eyewitness account of the SV Carl coming aground at Booby’s Bay and the tugs that tried to refloat he
With a coastline stretching around 250 miles, it is estimated that there have been over 6,000 ships wrecked off the Cornish coast
Archive photo of the wrecked SV Carl when it was beached at Booby’s Bay, Cornwal
‘They got her off the reef, but as soon as they had done so, the towing hawser on each tug parted, Carl went ahead out of control and grounded on the inner reef.
‘She was there examined by salvage experts*who found no damage whatever to the hull. The Admiralty tugs therefore had another try to tow her off, but once more both ship’s towing harnesses parted.
‘Carl broke her back and became a total loss. But for the unusual misfortune of both towing hawsers parting on two successive attempts Carl would in all probability have been salvaged.’
With a coastline stretching around 250 miles, it is estimated that there have been over 6,000 ships wrecked off the Cornish coast.
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