Thomas W Lawson

The Seven-Masted Giant That Spilled Oil Across the Atlantic

Thomas W. Lawson, launched in 1902, was the largest sailing ship ever built without an engine and the only seven-masted schooner in history. Designed to prove that wind power still had a future in the age of steam, she stretched 475 feet long and carried 25 sails.

Although equipped with steam-powered equipment for navigation and communication, her massive size made her difficult to steer.

Originally a coal carrier, she was later converted into an oil tanker holding 60,000 barrels of paraffin, making her one of the largest of her kind afloat.

In December 1907, during her first transatlantic voyage as an oil tanker, she encountered violent storms near the Isles of Scilly. Refusing help, the captain tried to ride it out, but the ship snapped its anchor chain and was smashed against rocks near Annet. Only two of her eighteen crew survived.

The wreck led to the first major oil spill at sea, and the remains now lie off Shag Rock at 60 feet depth.

One of her anchors still survives today, built into the wall of Bleak House in Broadstairs.

Source:  Ocean scary