This Hamburg steamer owned by Knohr & Burchard, Nfl, came ashore on Brims Ness in dense fog and a southerly gale on the evening of 16 March 1928, while en-route from Dublin to Danzig with a cargo of scrap. The Thurso lifeboat was called out and the 'Sarah Austin' was launched at 10pm, in torrential rain and heavy seas. Coxswain McPhail took the lifeboat alongside the stranded steamer, but was told by the Captain that for the time being he did not wish to abandon ship. So Coxswain McPhail and his gallant crew stood by the steamer throughout that long, bitterly cold night and the whole of the next day, heavy seas repeatedly sweeping over the lifeboat. At 6.30pm on the 17th, the crew of the steamer found that their ship was beginning to break up and so the lifeboat went back alongside and rescued all 15 men. The lifeboat landed them at Scrabster harbour and returned to their boathouse exactly 22 hours after setting out. The Aase became a total wreck.
The RNLI's Committee of Management sent Letters of Thanks to Coxswain McPhail and his crew for this very fine service. The German government awarded an iron plaque 'For the Rescue From Distress at Sea' to the Coxswain and his crew, plus diplomas to Coxswain McPhail, Second Coxswain A. MacLeod and Bowman R. Thomson, with Certificates of Appreciation for the other members of the lifeboat's crew.
The 953 gross tons (500 net registered tons, 1400 tons deadweight) Aase was built in 1925 as Yard number 1160, by F. Schichau, Elbing being completed in August 1925. Steel built she was 227'05" x 32'06" x 11'06", (67m long by 10m wide). Her triple-expansion engines delivered 75 nhp through a single screw and she was capable of 9.5 knots.
Originally contracted and built for D/S Svendborg, c/o A.P. Moller, Denmark, she was actually delivered as the Aase flying the German flag and managed by Knohr & Buchardt of Hamburg.
The wreck of the Aase (known locally as the Railway wreck), was rediscovered on 4 May 2014 by a team of divers from Caithness Diving Club consisting of David Carter, Dave Steele and Simon Miller. It is believed that she hadn't been dived for approximately 30 years. The wreckage identified to date consists mainly of the Aase's cargo of railway scrap including, carriage wheels, axles and railway track. Further dives are planned on the site to try and discover the remains of the ship herself, which due to the exposed location is likely to be very badly broken up. The bulk of the wreckage lies in a general depth of around 15m.
The RNLI's Committee of Management sent Letters of Thanks to Coxswain McPhail and his crew for this very fine service. The German government awarded an iron plaque 'For the Rescue From Distress at Sea' to the Coxswain and his crew, plus diplomas to Coxswain McPhail, Second Coxswain A. MacLeod and Bowman R. Thomson, with Certificates of Appreciation for the other members of the lifeboat's crew.
The 953 gross tons (500 net registered tons, 1400 tons deadweight) Aase was built in 1925 as Yard number 1160, by F. Schichau, Elbing being completed in August 1925. Steel built she was 227'05" x 32'06" x 11'06", (67m long by 10m wide). Her triple-expansion engines delivered 75 nhp through a single screw and she was capable of 9.5 knots.
Originally contracted and built for D/S Svendborg, c/o A.P. Moller, Denmark, she was actually delivered as the Aase flying the German flag and managed by Knohr & Buchardt of Hamburg.
The wreck of the Aase (known locally as the Railway wreck), was rediscovered on 4 May 2014 by a team of divers from Caithness Diving Club consisting of David Carter, Dave Steele and Simon Miller. It is believed that she hadn't been dived for approximately 30 years. The wreckage identified to date consists mainly of the Aase's cargo of railway scrap including, carriage wheels, axles and railway track. Further dives are planned on the site to try and discover the remains of the ship herself, which due to the exposed location is likely to be very badly broken up. The bulk of the wreckage lies in a general depth of around 15m.