It was almost 100 years ago when the Spanish steamer Villasandino was abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean off Land’s End. After experiencing very heavy weather, the ship’s condenser broke at 9.30am February 26, 1925.
The ship’s engineers discovered that condenser pipes had fractured and that water was now coming into the engine room. It was then that the decision was taken to signal for aid to abandon ship.
The Villasandino which was built in 1888 by W Doxford and Sons in Sunderland, asked for assistance and was reached by the tanker British Chancellor which made four attempts to take her in tow but the hawser parted on each occasion, during the night the tow ropes were carried away, the windlass of the distressed steamer was broken and bollards torn away.
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The tanker stood by until daylight when British Chancellor reported having her under tow for Milford Haven. A later message stated that the steamer had broken adrift and the crew were leaving her in a sinking condition to drift.
The ship, owned at the time by Cia. Nav. Gascuna, eventually ran aground with her cargo of coal south of Bude’s Compass Point. Back in the 1970s it was reported that the wreck of the Villasandino was in bits on the sea bed including a rudder and propeller, and winches scattered over a small area.
The SS British Chancellor was an oil tanker built in 1921 for the British Tanker Company Ltd by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. In July 1940, it was severely damaged and sunk during an air raid on Falmouth Docks. The ship was out of commission for 10 months while it was repaired in Plymouth.
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