Kobbergrund

Kobbergrund is a shoal in the Kattegat 11 kilometers (7 miles) East South East of the Danish island of Læsø, lying close to the main shipping lanes from the south.

Shipwrecks

It is the site of several shipwrecks, including the Russian ship Baron Stieglitz in 1840 and the earlier Printz Friderich, a Danish ship-of-the-line in 1780. The wreck of the latter was newly discovered in 2018 by a team using modern survey equipment.[1] The shoal was known in English as "Kobber Ground".

Survey

The survey of Danish coasts and waters begun in 1791, and restarted after a hiatus in 1827, saw the first general chart for the Kattegat published in 1844[2].
On 20 November 1853 the Danish government anchored a lightvessel on the Ground at 57°8′30″N 11°20′30″E / 57.14167°N 11.34167°E / 57.14167; 11.34167. The vessel was schooner-rigged, painted with a white cross on each site, and carried three lights on her mast.[3]

Lightships

The Danish government stationed lightships at Kobbergrund from 1853 to 1908.[4]

Lightship When stationed Launch year Shipyard Length Breadth
Fyrskib No. V[5] 1853–1854; 1880–1896 1853 Naval shipyard 22m 5.6m
Fyrskib No. VI[6] 1854-1857 1854 Naval shipyard 22m 5.7m
Fyrskib No. VII[7] 1862, 1867, 1872, & 1882-1895 1867 Naval shipyard 22m 5.7m
Fyrskib No. IV[8] 1896-1908 1851 Nyholms Shipyard 22m 5.6m

References

  1. ^ "Press release: Line ship Printz Friderich 1761 have been found at Læsø". www.undervandsgruppen.dk. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  2. ^ Den Danske Lods (The Danish Pilot - The Royal Danish Sea Chart Archive)
  3. ^ Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1854 (January 1854), p.52.
  4. ^ "Positionerne for Danske Fyrskibe".
  5. ^ "Fyrskib No. V".
  6. ^ "Fyrskib No. VI".
  7. ^ "Fyrskib No. VII".
  8. ^ "Fyrskib No. IV".