Maria Asumpta
Encyclopedia
The Maria Asumpta was a brig that was wrecked in 1995 with the loss of three lives.
and Spain
; later she was used to transport slaves and salt. In the 1930s an engine was installed, and she was renamed Pepita. With the installation of the engine, her rigging was reduced, and in 1953 she was again renamed, this time Ciudad de Inca. By 1978, she was operating without masts in the Mediterranean. In 1980, her owners wanted to sell her engines and burn the ship. Mark Litchfield and Robin Cecil Wright, who had founded the China Clipper Society, bought the Ciudad de Inca for the value of her engines. Over the next 18 months, the ship was restored, and became a sail training ship in 1982. Between 1984 and 1988 she was based at Quebec
and sailed on the Great Lakes
. In 1988 she was renamed Maria Asumpta, and ceased to be registered as a sail training ship. Her status now was a private yacht. She was by then the oldest surviving sailing ship. Maria Asumpta later regained her sail training ship status. In 1994, she took part in a tall ships event at Rouen
, France
.
. The first part of the voyage was hit by bad weather and she had sheltered at Porlock
, Lynmouth
and Swansea Marina
. On the afternoon of the 30 May 1995 she was preparing to enter Padstow harbour. The captain, Mark Litchfield, decided to take her between The Mouls and Pentire Point, which was not a route recommended by the Admiralty
. Litchfield later stated that the reason for sailing fairly close to shore was to enjoy the view and to benefit from the strong tidal race.
The engines suddenly stopped; two men were sent to attend to the engine whilst the rest of the crew of fourteen raised more sail. Although lookouts had been posted at the bow, they failed to spot submerged rocks and about five minutes after the engines stopped, the Maria Asumpta struck rocks at Rump Point
50.594556°N 4.924389°W and began to founder. An immediate mayday was issued. The crew abandoned ship, and many of them jumped onto the rocks, but three crew were drowned. The tragedy was witnessed by many sightseers, who had come to watch the Maria Asumptas arrival.
carried out an enquiry into the loss of the Maria Asumpta, and the subsequent report was used in evidence by Mark Litchfield at his trial.
of the three crew members who died, due to his gross negligence
in navigating too close to the shore, knowing that the diesel was contaminated. He pleaded "not guilty".
During the trial, evidence was given that Litchfield put the ship into a dangerous situation by coming too close to the shore in a lee wind - i.e. the wind was blowing onshore. When the engines stopped, the ship was effectively doomed and had she been further out to sea would have been able to avoid the rocks. He had been advised by the Padstow harbourmaster to stay further out to sea, and had previously been advised at Gloucester that the fuel was contaminated. It also emerged during the trial that Litchfield had previously been the master of the Marques
, which had sank in 1984 with the loss of 19 lives.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury returned a majority verdict of "guilty" and Litchfield was jailed for eighteen months by Mr Justice Butterfield. The case is used in teaching gross negligence in law.
Litchfield appealed against his conviction, but his appeal was disallowed.
.
History
The Maria Asumpta was launched at Badalona in 1858, and was involved in the textile trade between ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; later she was used to transport slaves and salt. In the 1930s an engine was installed, and she was renamed Pepita. With the installation of the engine, her rigging was reduced, and in 1953 she was again renamed, this time Ciudad de Inca. By 1978, she was operating without masts in the Mediterranean. In 1980, her owners wanted to sell her engines and burn the ship. Mark Litchfield and Robin Cecil Wright, who had founded the China Clipper Society, bought the Ciudad de Inca for the value of her engines. Over the next 18 months, the ship was restored, and became a sail training ship in 1982. Between 1984 and 1988 she was based at Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and sailed on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. In 1988 she was renamed Maria Asumpta, and ceased to be registered as a sail training ship. Her status now was a private yacht. She was by then the oldest surviving sailing ship. Maria Asumpta later regained her sail training ship status. In 1994, she took part in a tall ships event at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Shipwreck
The Maria Asumpta was on her first voyage after a refit at GloucesterGloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
. The first part of the voyage was hit by bad weather and she had sheltered at Porlock
Porlock
Porlock is a coastal village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in a deep hollow below Exmoor, west of Minehead. The parish, which includes Hawkcombe and Doverhay, has a population of 1,377....
, Lynmouth
Lynmouth
Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the north edge of Exmoor.The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge below Lynton, to which it is connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway....
and Swansea Marina
Swansea Marina
Swansea Marina is a marina located behind the Swansea barrage at the mouth of the River Tawe in Swansea, south Wales. Swansea Marina was awarded blue flag status in June 2005 and has been awarded five gold anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association...
. On the afternoon of the 30 May 1995 she was preparing to enter Padstow harbour. The captain, Mark Litchfield, decided to take her between The Mouls and Pentire Point, which was not a route recommended by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. Litchfield later stated that the reason for sailing fairly close to shore was to enjoy the view and to benefit from the strong tidal race.
The engines suddenly stopped; two men were sent to attend to the engine whilst the rest of the crew of fourteen raised more sail. Although lookouts had been posted at the bow, they failed to spot submerged rocks and about five minutes after the engines stopped, the Maria Asumpta struck rocks at Rump Point
The Rumps
The Rumps is a twin-headland promontory at the north-east corner of Pentire Head in north Cornwall, United Kingdom.The promontory is formed from hard basaltic rock and projects north into the Atlantic Ocean. Its headlands lie east-to-west...
50.594556°N 4.924389°W and began to founder. An immediate mayday was issued. The crew abandoned ship, and many of them jumped onto the rocks, but three crew were drowned. The tragedy was witnessed by many sightseers, who had come to watch the Maria Asumptas arrival.
Investigation
The Marine Accident Investigation BranchMarine Accident Investigation Branch
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch established in 1989 following the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster is a branch of the United Kingdom Department for Transport which can investigate any accident occurring in UK waters, regardless of the nationality of the vessel involved, and accidents...
carried out an enquiry into the loss of the Maria Asumpta, and the subsequent report was used in evidence by Mark Litchfield at his trial.
Manslaughter trial
Litchfield was charged with the manslaughterManslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
of the three crew members who died, due to his gross negligence
Gross negligence
Gross negligence is a legal concept which means serious carelessness. Negligence is the opposite of diligence, or being careful. The standard of ordinary negligence is what conduct one expects from the proverbial "reasonable person"...
in navigating too close to the shore, knowing that the diesel was contaminated. He pleaded "not guilty".
During the trial, evidence was given that Litchfield put the ship into a dangerous situation by coming too close to the shore in a lee wind - i.e. the wind was blowing onshore. When the engines stopped, the ship was effectively doomed and had she been further out to sea would have been able to avoid the rocks. He had been advised by the Padstow harbourmaster to stay further out to sea, and had previously been advised at Gloucester that the fuel was contaminated. It also emerged during the trial that Litchfield had previously been the master of the Marques
Bark Marques
The Marques was a British-registered barque that sank during the Tall Ships' Races in 1984.The Marques was built in Valencia, Spain, in 1917, as a polacca-rigged brig. She was used to carry fruit from the Canary Islands to northern Europe. Damaged during World War II, she was repaired in 1947 and...
, which had sank in 1984 with the loss of 19 lives.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury returned a majority verdict of "guilty" and Litchfield was jailed for eighteen months by Mr Justice Butterfield. The case is used in teaching gross negligence in law.
Litchfield appealed against his conviction, but his appeal was disallowed.
Memorial
A memorial to the three crew who died in the wreck of Maria Asumpta was erected in St Enodoc's Church, TrebetherickTrebetherick
Trebetherick is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the east side of the River Camel estuary approximately six miles north of Wadebridge and half-a-mile south of Polzeath....
.
External links
- Lyrics to a song about the Maria Asumpta.