The Shipwrecks Of Porthcawl - Stories From The South Wales Coast

[@commonsense9176]

My father was on watch with Port Talbot Coastguard that night I was brought up with the story of the Samtamp. Years later when I joined we visited the site with the lads from Porthcawl team and the Newton cemetery

[@seanhood9264]

Excellent video, so fascinating about the history, I’ve recently got into metal detecting and quite often do Porthcawls beaches, maybe one day I’ll find some of these wrecks treasures. Keep up the great work

[@mickymouse3491]

I had a good chat with you near Sker a few days ago whilst you were making this video. I have been out of the country for the last twenty years. I have since watched all of your video’s, you do a fantastic job of presenting. All your video’s are very engaging and would make a great series on The television. Subscribed 👍.

[@flydriveexplore]

Cheers, it was good to talk to you. I may be making a video about the harbour itself in a few weeks although next week myself and Mel may be making a short series on a very serious subject, "The Chip Shops Of Porthcawl"

[@michaeldavies3481]

Love them,please keep them coming.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks. We'll try to.

[@jaye-jaewood]

Very interesting video! Thank you for making it. My great-grandad was on the Samtampa when it was wrecked (Robert Weatherill) from Whitby, North Yorkshire. My great-grandma, Hetty, never got over it and still waited for him to return home after all those years 🤍

[@flydriveexplore]

Intersting to hear the family connection. He must have made it through the war years and thought this was going to be a routine trip to South Wales. This year was the 75th anniversary of the disaster.

[@BikeThrottleOfficial]

Very nicely made and edited videos, you’ve gained a subscriber 👏

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, I was surprised how many wrecks there were. There are many more as you walk either side of this small part of the coast.

[@Freebird35]

On my first visit to Porthcawl as a lad I remember seeing the remains of the Santampa on Sker Rock, the only memory I have of that trip

[@flydriveexplore]

I think it was there for a year before it was broken up, there's a Pathe news video from the salvage on KZbin

[@commonsense9176]

@@flydriveexplore they used tanks to drag the steel to the steel works

[@petergriffiths369]

I really like your videos. Your commentary is so natural and your knowledge of Porthcawl's history is excellent. My education ran from infants & junior in New Rd. through to Secondary Modern in Park Av. I wasn't taught a word on the history of the town for some reason but am catching up fast. I want to open a channel on u-tube covering the Industrial Revolution to the present day including all things transport. I'm living in Swansea at the moment and will be coming down to Porthcawl soon to do some filming and perhaps walk the railway to Pyle. I'll need to get some permissions from Mr Knight to do this. I'll even ask if I can film in Nottage Court as I lived there for a while before John Blundell passed away. You may be interested in joining me as two cameras is better than one. I've also got Stormy in my list as I flew from there in the Porthcawl Gliding Club. If you're interested please give me a video call on messenger either on my page or through Porthcawl first for all. Perhaps we can meet up for a chat in a place of your choice. Regards.

[@flydriveexplore]

Hi, thanks for the email. Just a quick note to say I am interested especially in the walk to Pyle. I will be in touch later in the week or you can always contact me or visit our website where our email is, Facebook etc. We're usually around at the moment as we still can't really travel far. I used to see the area, Kenfig Dunes, Port Talbot from the air too as I used to fly out of Swansea (back in the days when I could afford it)

[@chrismccartney8668]

Looks pretty inhospitable with those rocks and wind and sea pushing onto the rocks I'm used to sand banks and obstacles in shallow waters if the east coast off Essex Suffolk and Thames Estuary

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, as well as the tides which can be as large as 30 feet.

[@terrycollett1461]

I went from Porthcawl to Ilfracombe a few years ago on the Balmoral.Had I seen this video beforehand I would have gone by bus.lol.I’ve stayed in the Seabank Hotel several times there’s quite a bit of history there.Great video.

[@flydriveexplore]

Also, I think the Balmoral grounded on a reef near the Gower back in the early 2000s

[@OnASeasideMission]

Thanks for another great, well presented video. Alun Morgan would have approved. Might not have been teaching (or writing) history in your time, but he was one of the teachers who made me glad I went to Porthcawl.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, I can't recall the name but I opted for Geography with Mr Johnston at the time

[@OnASeasideMission]

@@flydriveexplore Ooh! He was quite the local historian. Wrote several works including one on 'The Maid of Sker' and a novel called 'The Breakwater' all about, well... the breakwater.

[@OnASeasideMission]

@Chris Wings ItDon't have that one.

[@OnASeasideMission]

Correction, managed to google and that's a yes. A few other local histories, too.

[@jessicainwales858]

A very educational video. It's a shame that these shipwrecks are not common knowledge.

[@flydriveexplore]

That was just a small stretch of coast, you could continue in either direction, there are wrecks on nearly every point. It was dangerous in the old sailing days with only basic navigation and wooden ships.

[@jessicainwales858]

@@flydriveexplore the only shipwreck I know of, apart from the ones featured in your video, is the Royal Charter, and that's only my chance. I'll have to do some research to see how many there are up North Wales. How lucky we are to have technological advancements these days, something we take for granted.

[@David_Nurse]

Another interesting and informative video. Thank You.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks

[@maggienificent]

Wow, friendly Porthcawl locals! hahaha thanks for another very informative video! Such beautiful scenery.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, the locals have improved (but only slightly!)

[@terrycollett1461]

Great video very interesting.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks

[@metaldetectingwales]

Brilliant and informative, thanks for sharing.

[@flydriveexplore]

Cheers 👍

[@geoffbluck1243]

Just watching shipwrecks of porthcawl and you mentioned the wreck Kennedy off rest bay I quite regularly fish off the fingers as we call them and we have side scan images of the wreck let me know if you want them, Amy Jayne porthcawl marina, keep up the great work

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks very much, they would be great to see. Our contact details can be found here www.flydriveexplore.com/contact/

[@peterlewis5670]

excellent video Marcus makes you think how lucky we are. I remember somebody telling me that one master of the copper barques that made trips to Chile from Swansea made the return-trip 18 times! - "sealink " dover to Calais is enough for me!

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, setting sail in those days without the modern navigation and at the mercy of the weather must have been incredible. I'm pathetic, I was sick in a simulator at the "boat show'!

[@christopherthewreckerthats2295]

Loved the video. Us wreckers are more hardcore than them pirates and smugglers.

[@flydriveexplore]

From the stories, it seemed most of the town were wreckers (probably still are)!

[@dragon-lf9ow]

What a wonderful place

[@flydriveexplore]

It is 👍

[@flydriveexplore]

The wreck of the Samtampa kzbin.info/www/bejne/fl7be6l6p7hjmKM

[@pauljones1350]

Iam glad they are more friendly at Porthcawl now scare house shipwrecks love it you mentioned Swansea and gower area is my port wrecking scavenging stories too they say a girl thrown off cliff for warning innocent ship about to be wrecked here in gower iam on the doorstep of gower

[@flydriveexplore]

There was quite a bit of money to be made from wrecking. Porthcawl locals are more friendly, well some of them!

[@petergriffiths369]

Hi Paul, grab your Helmut, Sword & Shield and say after me, "SKER".

[@chancesareshewears]

Spent many an hour at Sker. I'm sure there was a tank on the rocks probably rusted to nothing by now.

[@flydriveexplore]

Can't recall a tank on the rocks but they did use one to help salvage the wreck of the Samtampa. There are remains of the tank past Sker on Morfa beach by the steel works.

[@chancesareshewears]

@@flydriveexplore I think it was on sker rocks..pretty sure. mid 60's

[@flydriveexplore]

@@chancesareshewears I'll ask around to see if I can get more info.

[@nicknewtonwilliams4777]

Excelent 😎🙏🏻

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks

[@pauljones1350]

Spelled sker sounds like scare like it

[@flydriveexplore]

Yep, does sound like Scare but I think it's derived from the word Skerry.

[@cjhobbyfly8597]

Another canny video... with regards "wreckers" though its a bit of a myth as the only time it ever happened was in a fictional book :)

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, they may not have actually lured the ships to their doom but the locals definitely looted the ships that did run aground.

[@cjhobbyfly8597]

@@flydriveexplore that aspect definately happened.

[@christopherthewreckerthats2295]

Us wreckers are not a bit of a myth.the only myth is that lots of locals would come down and come plunder the wreck that only happen once in a blue moon. Us wrecker s use to be in gangs like the smugglers. We would be there first then the us wreckers and then the town people would come down but usually they wouldn't be Couse they would know we where there. To be a wrecker like a pirate or a smuggler you got to live by it live its way of life just because some one does a bit of wrecking does not make them a wrecker just like I put a bit of heavy metal music on does not make me a metal head. We had codes mostly every wrecker went by the wrecker's codes.and the reason why they ant no evidence of us using false lights is because we did not get caught. Because when the ship hit the rock's we would put the lights out.then the sailors we be tromatiz or come down with happier furmer and get confused and fo get what they saw or we would kill them that was are trick.so yes false lights where used.we had a saying in the old days are lanterns are our tools of are trade.i was there from a reincarnated wrecker

[@raymondsmith3813]

Im from Blackwood but my great grandfather was one of the lifeguards during the 1918 era . They have a photograph taken outside of the Rock inn which is displayed in the Rock inn today . Also in the museum.

[@flydriveexplore]

I it this picture from one of my older vids kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHSQkHt4ed2UnNE

[@raymondsmith3813]

@@flydriveexplore yes brilliant that's the one that's my great granddad Alexander Smith in the centre I have been trying to discover about his life , he was a Scotsman.

[@flydriveexplore]

@@raymondsmith3813 👍