This has been a terrible few days for the historic tall ship Zebu.  On Thursday, the 100′ long brigantine, built in Sweden in 1938, encountered unspecified difficulties and had to be towed out of shipping lanes off Wales by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The ship was towed to an anchorage at Holyhead.

On Saturday, the ship broke from its moorings and drifted onto the Holyhead New Harbour breakwater, where she became hard aground. A rescue mission was launched by HM Coastguards’ Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre – but was ultimately unsuccessful. The ship heeled over as the tide fell, rolling more than 45 degrees and subsequently flooding.

Zebu had been heading to Bristol for conservation work from her base at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool.

Zebu is a registered historic traditional brigantine rigged tall ship and was declared the National Historic Ships regional flagship of the year for the north-west in 2020.

Capsized ship Zebu near Holyhead. Sunk by the breakwater tall ship.

Thanks to Robert Kennedy for contributing to this post.