A Sea of Sails

The North Sea was once a sea of sails. Looking out from Southwold in Suffolk you would once see fleets of 7 to 8 hundred sailing vessels. Today you’ll be looking to catch sight of a single ship.

Southwold’s Sole Bay has over the decades become home to many shipwrecks including warships, brigs, steampackets, steamers and tugs (283 wrecks were recorded in the 19th century alone). The high number of wrecks within the area has resulted from a combination of North Sea storms, shifting sands and treacherous sandbanks. Number of wrecks dropped within the 20th century with the introduction of better vessels and the launch of the lifeboat service.

 

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