Hougomont (barque)

{{Short description|Four-masted steel barque}} {{distinguish|Hougoumont (ship)}} {{italic title}} {{Use British English|date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= Hougomont docked in an unidentified port (PRG 1373-15-80).jpeg |image_caption= ''Hougomont'' docked in an unidentified port circa 1900 (State Library of South Australia PRG 1373-15-80) }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country= |flag= |name= '''''Hougomont''''' |operator= [[Gustaf Erikson]]<ref name=Advertiser21-12-1932/> |ordered= |awarded= |builder= Scott Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]]<ref name=ANSD>{{cite web|title= Australian National Shipwreck Database (ANSD) - Hougomont |url= https://dmzapp17p.ris.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=5422 |publisher= Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Environment|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref> |yard_number= |laid_down= |launched= |sponsor= |christened= |completed=1897 |acquired= |commissioned= |recommissioned= |decommissioned= |in_service= |out_of_service= |renamed= |reclassified= |refit= |struck= |reinstated= |homeport= |motto= |nickname= |honours= |honors= |captured= |fate= Scuttled 8 January 1933 in [[Stenhouse Bay]] |status= historic shipwreck<ref name=ANSD/> |notes= |badge= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class= |type=[[Barque]]<ref name=ANSD/> |tonnage= 2378<ref name=ANSD/> |displacement= |tons_burthen= |length={{convert|292|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=ANSD/> |beam={{convert|43|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=ANSD/> |height= |draught={{convert|23|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=ANSD/> |draft= |hold_depth= |ice_class= |sail_plan= |power= |propulsion= |speed= |range= |endurance= |test_depth= |boats= |capacity= |complement= |crew= |time_to_activate= |troops= |sensors= |EW= |armament= |armour= |armor= |aircraft= |aircraft_facilities= |notes= }} }}

'''''Hougomont''''' was the name of a four-masted steel [[barque]] built in [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]] in 1897 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. In 1924 she was purchased by [[Gustav Erikson]]'s shipping company in [[Mariehamn]], [[Åland]], [[Finland]]. She was used for transport and schooling ship for young sailors until 1932 when a squall completely broke her rig on the [[Southern Ocean]] and she was sunk as [[Breakwater (structure)|breakwater]] near the town of [[Stenhouse Bay, South Australia|Stenhouse Bay]] in [[South Australia]].

''Hougomont'' had a crew of 24 men.<ref name="Hougomont"/> The name "''Hougomont''" is derived from [[Hougoumont|Château d'Hougoumont]] where the [[Battle of Waterloo]] was fought. While seaworthy she sailed to [[Peru]], [[Florida]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[England]], [[Ireland]], and [[Sweden]] among other destinations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont_matkoja.htm|title=Hougomont|work=kolumbus.fi|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026211826/http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont_matkoja.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> She had two sister ships, ''Nivelle'' (stranded in 1906) and ''[[Archibald Russell (ship)|Archibald Russell]]''.

==History==

''Hougomont'' was unfortunate and damaged on several occasions while at sea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=6667|title=Steel barque Hougomont |website=www.samemory.sa.gov.au}}</ref>

In March 1903 she ran aground at Allonby on the Cumbrian coast. She was bound for Liverpool from San Francisco and had been driven off course by heavy weather. Her cargo included 32,000 cases of tinned pears and 24,000 cases of salmon, which the villagers of Allonby 'harvested' from the shore.<ref>Wigton Advertiser, 7 March 1903</ref>

In 1910 nine men were washed overboard when a rogue wave hit her stern in a [[hurricane]]. Five of the men were washed back on board by the next wave, but the remaining four were never seen again. In November 1927 her rig sustained damage in the [[Bay of Biscay]], and she took refuge at the port of [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]], where she was repaired in order to continue her voyage to [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]. In 1931 several of her sails were torn to shreds in a storm near [[Cape Horn]].<ref name="Hougomont">{{cite web|url=http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont.htm|title=Hougomont|work=kolumbus.fi|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026211059/http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 20 April 1932 at 01:00 she was dismasted by a squall in a storm in the [[Southern Ocean]] {{convert|950|km|abbr=off}} south of [[Cape Borda]] in [[South Australia]]. She was at the time on her 111th day at sea, carrying deadweight, on her way to a port in [[Spencer Gulf]], west of [[Adelaide]], Australia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?52323|title=SV Hougomont (+1933)|date=}}</ref> The wreckage of the damaged rig battered the ship severely and it took the crew 30 hours to free her from it. She was coincidentally spotted by a steamer that wirelessly [[telegraph]]ed about the distress to Adelaide, and the steam [[Tugboat|tug]] ''Wato'' was sent to assist. However, by the time ''Wato'' had reached ''Hougomont'', ''Hougomont''′s crew had managed to build a [[jury rig]] and she was sailing slowly forward. Her [[Sea captain|captain]], Ragnar Lindholm, refused all offers of assistance from the tug as he wanted to avoid [[Marine salvage|salvage]] fees.<ref name="Hougomont"/>

Nineteen days later, on 8 May 1932, she reached the anchorage immediately off [[Semaphore, South Australia|Semaphore]] in Adelaide. It was estimated that she was damaged beyond repair, so everything valuable on her was removed and shipped to [[Mariehamn]] on ''[[Herzogin Cecilie]]'' in December 1932. She was sold to the Waratah Gypsum Company for [[scuttling]] as a [[Breakwater (structure)|breakwater]].<ref name=Advertiser21-12-1932>{{cite web|title=Hougomont's Fate, will be used as breakwater At outport, Stenhouse Bay|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35187026|publisher=The Advertiser|access-date=21 June 2015|page=20|date=21 December 1932}}</ref> In January 1933, ''Wato'' towed her to Stenhouse Bay for scuttling. She was scuttled there on 8 January 1933.

Today she lies {{convert|9|m|abbr=off}} underwater in Stenhouse Bay. Her stern and prow are still standing somewhat upright, but most of her hull has collapsed. Her [[figurehead]], a blonde lady dressed in a white gown, is displayed in [[Åland]] Maritime Museum in [[Mariehamn]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont.htm|title= Hougomont|access-date= 28 October 2014|archive-date= 26 October 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141026211059/http://www.kolumbus.fi/jamikko/Purjelaivat_Hougomont.htm|url-status= dead}}</ref> The wreck site is officially located at {{coord|35|16|52.81|S|136|56|40.99|E|display=inline,title}}.<ref name=ANSD/>

==Technical facts== Tonnage: 2074 grt<ref name="Georg Kahre 1978">"The Last Tall Ships", Georg Kahre, 1978, Conway Maritime Press, Greenwich.</ref> Dimensions: 89 x 13,2 x 7,3 m<br /> Material: steel<br /> Date of launch: 3 June 1897<br /> Deadweight tonnage: 4000<ref name="Georg Kahre 1978"/>

==See also== *[[List of shipwrecks of Australia]]

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hougomont (barque)}} [[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]] [[Category:1897 ships]] [[Category:Individual sailing vessels]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1903]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1910]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1927]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1931]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1932]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1933]] [[Category:Shipwrecks of South Australia]] [[Category:Investigator Strait]] [[Category:Scuttled vessels]]