Maritime record LWT 669 - Wreck of the Zemeira

ITALIAN BARQUE, 1858
Status: Casualty

Vessel stranded and lost in wind conditions SW force 7. The wreck commenced to go to pieces very quickly, her mainmast going overboard first, taking with it four of the ship's crew of thirteen, followed quickly by the mizzen topmast. The sea continually lifted her hull, then dropped her onto the sand bank, breaking her timbers and fastenings. Shortly after her foremast also went overboard which left the remaining crew in the sea, some of whom stayed afloat on pieces of wreckage which were torn from the hull whilst others drifted to leeward. The Pakefield lifeboat SISTERS (not so named until 1868), which rowed 16 oars, had a fearful journey out to the wreck and many of the lifeboat crew thought conditions would prevent them from reaching the site. `Give up, it's hopeless,' said one lifeboat man as huge seas threatened to swamp them, but coxswain Nathaniel Colby replied, `My life is as sweet to me as yours; go we must'. Shortly after they came across the wreck but found no one aboard, so set about searching the area, picking up one man a quarter of a mile away, the eighth at least two miles. The Italians were near naked in the sea. (2)

Year Built: 1853
Crew: 13
Crew Lost: 5
Date of Loss Qualifier: A

Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index:
BOT.Wk.Rtn.1850-60 p112(8) and 1858 Table 19 p19(577)
SFS p67-8