The Shipwreck Lastingham
Cape Jackson, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
Nine Dives, Essons Valley, Picton, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
03 573 7199 or 021 1146997
archive picture of the Lastingham
The Lastingham, history and dive information
The Lastingham was built in West Hartlepool, England in 1876, it was a twin mast iron sailing ship of 1217 net register tons and underway to New Zealand.
The ship measured 221'6" ( 67.15 meters ) long, Beam 35'3" ( 10.7 meters ) and Depth 20'8" ( 6.3 meters )
She was used as a general cargo ship between London and Wellington.
The Lastingham was near the end of her long journey, but the welcome land waited for so long proved her nemesis. The Lastingham could not weather the Cape Jackson point and was gradually driven on the lee shore.
The ship struck bow on and then immediately broached to in the heavy weather, the deckhouse, boats and deck furniture were quickly swept away.
The ships company broke up in two groups, the group at the bow rescued themselves fast by climbing over the bowsprit onto shore, but they could not point out this escape route to the other party stuck at the stern of the ship due to the noise of the breaking waves.
In about an hour the decks bulged outwards, she then slipped of the rocks and disappeared.
When the ship struck and its condition was seen to be hopeless, the Captain who was getting on in years, retired to his cabin and was last seen sitting at his table with his arms round his wife, with water up to their armpits waiting for death.
She so sank on the 1st of September 1884 in a heavy North West Gale at Cape Jackson, at the entrance of Queen Charlotte Sound with the loss of 18 lives. These victims were aforementioned Captain and his wife, 5 passengers and 11 crew.
The remainder of the ships population including the first and second officers, reached the mainland and were saved after 40 miserable cold and hungry hours by the ketch Agnes. Many of the rescued were bruised and cut and in poor state of health. The Agnes spotted an improvised emergency signal, a blanket waved by the survivors.
The position of the wreck was located in 1966 after a painstaking search off Cape Jackson on the West side, about 20 meters off shore.
She is lying in approx 10-20 meters of water on a shell and sandy bottom with some kelp covered reefs nearby and a usual good visibility generally of about 7-8 meters.
This is a collapsed and broken apart hull, though still with its masts nearby. With the wooden deck rotted away, it is possible to swim under the collapsed ships sides forming artificial cave spaces. The shapes are in many places obscured with kelp and in other spots clearly defined
Even with poor visibility it is a fascinating area with rocks in a purple haze.
The iron of the hull is now thickly covered with various growths, weeds, soft corals, anemones, shells, sea urchins and aquatic plants.
All the main portions of the hulk are quite recognizable, and it is possible with some careful observation to navigate the hull and deck area as a wreck dive.
Some interesting items were taken off the ship , a small bell and sextant were recovered, ships general bits and bobs and bottles both full and empty have been found.
Interesting features that remain are, some steel rail track, barrels of cement ( wood rotted away ), grinding wheels and sharpening stones generally further away from the main wreck at a depth of about 25 meters.
Some 400 sovereigns are suppose to be still about somewhere.
Plenty of crays are to be found in the area around the wreck with depths fairly quickly going to the 20's and 30 meter mark.
The fish life on and near the wreck contains marble fish, blue-cod, spotties, blue- and red- moki, triple fins, blennies, sea perch, butterfly perch, banded wrasse, scarlet wrasse, leather jacket and tarakihi.
With a bit of luck you can also spot stingrays and eagle rays.
Some seals can sometimes be found on rocks nearby, and the area is sometimes visited by dusky- and hectors -dolphins and penguins.
Normal precautions taken into account, is usually a safe dive for confident open water level divers onwards, anchor needs to be used here, some strong currents can be present, no nets but the kelp can be a hazard, another thing to watch for is reduced visibility due to over-enthusiastic finning. Also advisable to keep a good eye out for the weather here on this exposed coast line.
Rated as one of our top dives, an interesting wreck and full of a variety of abundant marine life.
Lastingham artifacts recovered from the vicinity of the wreck
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