Shipwreck on West Shore Beach

Scope and Content

The last Schooner to be wrecked on the West Shore was the 200 ton 'Flying Foam' of Bridgwater, whose keel may still be seen at low tide a short distance from the West Shore Car Park. The vessel was built in 1879 in Jersey. She was never fitted with auxiliary power and was still a pure sailing vessel when she anchored between Puffin Island and Penmaenmawr to repair a sail on 21 June 1936. She was caught by a worsening wind and dragged her anchor to drift ashore with her heavy cargo of coal. Beaumaris Lifeboat took off the crew of seven and several Conwy Trawlermen later boarded the Schooner to try to keep her pumped out, but she began to break up and had to be abandoned. The wreck was later sold to a Llandudno Coal Merchant, Owen Thomas.

Original Index No. D0800.