Maria Asumpta
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Maria Asumpta |
| Builder: | Nicholas Pida |
| Launched: | Badalona, Spain, 1858 |
| Christened: | Maria Asumpta |
| Renamed: |
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| Fate: | wrecked at Padstow, Cornwall, 30 May 1995 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 127 Tons |
| Length: | 123 ft (37.49 m) |
| Beam: | 25 ft (7.62 m) |
| Draught: | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails, 2 x GEC Dorman 6 LET diesel engines, 175 hp (130 kW) each. |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
The Maria Asumpta was a brig that was wrecked in 1995 with the loss of three lives.
The Maria Asumpta was launched at Badalona in 1858, and was involved in the textile trade between Argentina and Spain; later she was used to transport slaves and salt. In the 1930s an engine was installed, and she was renamed Pepita. With the installation of the engine, her rigging was reduced, and in 1953 she was again renamed, this time Ciudad de Inca. By 1978, she was operating without masts in the Mediterranean. In 1980, her owners wanted to sell her engines and burn the ship. Mark Litchfield and Robin Cecil Wright, who had founded the China Clipper Society, bought the Ciudad de Inca for the value of her engines. Over the next 18 months, the ship was restored, and became a sail training ship in 1982.
In 1984 she took part in a tall ships event which entered Lake Ontario. Once there, she found herself trapped due to an American lawsuit over the sinking of the barque Bark Marques (also owned by Robin Cecil Wright). Any attempt to leave the Great Lakes would involve traversing American controlled locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and would result in the Ciudad de Inca being seized. Between 1984 and 1988 she was based in Kingston, Ontario and sailed on the Great Lakes. During the winter of 1986 she sank in shallow water, and was refloated and restored shortly thereafter. In 1988 she was renamed Maria Asumpta, and ceased to be registered as a sail training ship. Her status now was a private yacht. She was by then the oldest surviving sailing ship. Maria Asumpta later regained her sail training ship status. In 1994, she took part in a tall ships event at Rouen, France.
The Maria Asumpta was on her first voyage after a refit at Gloucester. The first part of the voyage was hit by bad weather and she had sheltered at Porlock, Lynmouth and Swansea Marina. On the afternoon of 30 May 1995 she was preparing to enter Padstow harbour. The captain, Mark Litchfield, decided to take her between The Mouls and Pentire Point, which was not a route recommended by the Admiralty. Litchfield later stated that the reason for sailing fairly close to shore was to enjoy the view and to benefit from the strong tidal race.
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Wikipedia