The Wrecks Of The SS Charcot, SS Southern Foam, and SS Sukha
Conception Harbour, Conception Bay
The SS Charcot was a ship that was constructed for hunting whales in the North Atlantic. The steel ship was built in Tonsberg, Norway in 1923. In 1943 it was sold to the Polar Whaling Company who were based out of southern Labrador. It was then sold to the Hawkes Harbour Whaling Company which were based out of Conception Bay.
The ship had a length of 117 ft, a beam/width of 21.6 ft and weighed 212 tons. It was 1 of 5 whaling vessels owned by Captain Johan Borgen of the Hawke Harbour Whaling Company.
In 1970 during a storm, the ship broke its moorings and was pushed ashore. Today the rusted hull of the ship peaks through the water and onto a beach near Conception Harbour, 4 km north of Avondale. For many years it was believed by locals that this ship was another whaling vessel by the name SS Sposa. However, when the "Shipwreck Preservation Society of NL" began doing underwater surveys of the ship they found it to be the SS Charcot.
While surveying the ship they discovered two more whaling vessels lay sunken on the sea floor behind the Charcot. After finding measurements of the sunken ships they concluded that the two ships were the Whaling Vessels the SS Southern Foam and the SS Sukha.
Along with the hull of the ship, many old mechanical parts lie on the beach today.
The ships are located in Conception Harbour and can be seen while driving on the CBS Highway (Route 60). There is a small parking area and picnic spot located next to the ships hull.
Sources & Further Exploring
Read more about this shipwreck and more by visiting the Newfoundland and Labrador Shipwreck Preservation Society http://www.shipwrecksnl.ca/.