Maritime record MDO47945 - Watchdog of Wareham

1986 wreck of English motorised yacht which caught fire and foundered 6.3 miles east of Anvil Point while under tow once it had burned out completely, while returning from Guernsey to Wareham. It appears that she was being returned to her home port, since on the outward-bound leg to Brittany three weeks previously her owner had died of a heart attack. The craft was powered by both engine and sail. A position was given for the wreck site which could not be found 2 days later and it has subsequently not been relocated. Status: Casualty

Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:

Position cited as 50 35.134N 001 47.700W (OSGB). (1)(4)

25-JUL-1986: Sank in position approximately 93 degrees, 6.3 miles from Anvil Point Lighthouse, believed completely burned out. Not found by Trinity House Vessel STELLA 21-JUL-1986. (1)(4)

23-OCT-2012: Not located by multibeam or magnetometer; amend to DEAD. (4)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

WATCHDOG OF WAREHAM.

Source (1) states two reporting dates of 21-JUL-1986 and 25-JUL-1986, (2) as 19-JUL-1987.

Registered in Wareham. (2)

Captain Robert 'Red' Ryder VC died on 29 June 1986 aged 78 after suffering a heart attack while travelling to Brittany with two other retired naval officers on the WATCHDOG OF WAREHAM.

A distress signal was sent and a French naval helicopter attended the scene, which confirmed his death. (3)

This vessel was owned by the retired Captain Ryder VC, who died in June 1986 whilst sailing her. In July she was being sailed back from Guernsey to Wareham when she blew up and sank, sourced from "A Reluctant Hero: the life of Captain Robert Ryder VC", Richard Hopton, Pen and Sword Books, 2012, by the informant. (6)

LBD: 10.67 x 2.74m (2)
Propulsion: Sail with an auxiliary engine (2)
Owner: Captain Robert Ryder VC (6)

Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 19551, accessed on 22-JUL-2010 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<2> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<3> The Times, 30-JUN-1986, No.62,496 p1 (Serial). SWX3285.

<4> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 19951, accessed on 10-JUL-2014 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<5> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 10-JUL-2014 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<6> PastScape website feedback, 10-JUL-2014 (Verbal communication). SDO19831.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1521539 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 31 2024 6:53PM