The Shipwrecks of Sable Island
The Graveyard of the Atlantic
Since 1583 there have been over 350 shipwrecks at Sable Island. The first recorded shipwreck occurred in late August 1583 when Sir Humphrey Gilbert's ship the "Delight" wrecked during a storm. Fourteen men escaped and were eventually able to make their way back to England but almost 100 others were not as fortunate. Over the years it is estimated that over 10,000 people have lost their lives off the coast of Sable Island.
The island is situated 300 kilometers south east of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Made of sand left behind over 19,000 years ago by retreating glaciers, the nearest bedrock is roughly 125 feet straight down. Sable Island is 20 miles long and one mile wide at its' widest point. Due to it's sandy composition the island's crescent shape is constantly shifting with the wind. Sandbars as long as 17 miles lie hidden beneath the water's surface at either end of the island. When the wind blows, as it often does at Sable, the sandbars are almost impossible for ships to avoid.
Prone to unpleasant weather, Sable Island lies in the path of the majority of the storms that track up the Atlantic coast. The island lies near the junction of three major ocean currents: the Belle Island Current, the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream Current. In the summer, warm air from the Gulf Stream produces dense fog when it hits the cooler air around Sable; as a result the island experiences 125 days of fog each year. By way of comparison Toronto has 35 days of fog.
The fog and constant poor weather are, of coarse, the cause of the majority of shipwrecks at Sable Island. In the early days of seafaring there was no such thing as radar or sonar, in fact in the earliest days even maps were not entirely accurate. Ships navigated by dead reckoning and the experience of their captains. Unfortunately, even an experienced captain's skills were not a match for the fog, high winds and sandbars of Sable Island.
As a result of the overwhelming number of shipwrecks at Sable Island the Humane Establishment was created to rescue and house the shipwrecked sailors. They built many shelters along the island's coast for the victims who managed to make it to shore by themselves. Once inside the sailors found firewood, food and directions to the nearest manned life saving station where they could receive first aid and shelter until the next supply ship arrived, a somewhat irregular event at Sable. Rescue teams permanently housed at the main station practiced rescue drills weekly and patrolled the coast on horseback looking for survivors twice each day. By 1895 the island had five life saving stations.
Lighthouses were built at the east and west ends of the island. The west lighthouse was first built in 1873 and was moved five times as the tip of the island gradually eroded. The east lighthouse was built the same year but was only moved once because of erosion.
The development of radar and advanced navigation techniques virtually eliminated shipwrecks around Sable Island. The last wreck was the yacht 'Merrimac' on July 27 1999.
Today, access to the island is restricted by the Canadian government, because of the number of attempts to plunder the shipwrecks that still lie off the island's coast. Periodically pieces of these ancient wrecks wash ashore but they are soon pulled back into the ocean. The lighthouses are now automated, the shelters are no longer needed and there are only six permanent residents on the island, however, scientists do visit for short periods to study the island's wildlife once they have gained the government's permission. Quite a change from the days when many sailors made unexpected visits to the island.
Sources
ns.sympatico.ca/bvkeddy/sable.html, accessed Aug 3, 2007
museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/sableisland accessed July 7, 2007
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