CHECKPOINT 5
The Harbour Entrance
Harbour, Boat tours & Pirate ship
Scarborough's Harbour is still a bustling area, with fishermen and leisure boats sailing in and out daily.
We have a number of boat trips available from the harbour, you can see their advertising boards against the railings and on the cobbled slip ways.
Try your hand at fishing, go on a marine wildlife tour, head out on the wave rider for some white knuckle adrenaline fun, or take the Pirate Ship for a jaunt along the bay.
The pirate ship
The Hispaniola
A regular sight in the harbour, The Hispaniola was originally built in 1949. For many years it was part of the pirate adventure attraction at The Mere (just off Seamer Road). It is a ¼ replica of an 18th century schooner - the full sized ship was used in the Disney movie Treasure Island as well as in Moby Dick. The original, larger ship, was bought by Scarborough Corporation in 1950 and sat in the harbour for a number of years as a floating aquarium. Unfortunately the original was damaged beyond repair after a serious fire in 1972.
The smaller replica ship has been vastly refurbished and is still in use today, taking visitors for a short trip around the bay.
Harbour tales & Folklore
With one of the longest histories in the town, it is no surprise the harbour area is packed with superstitions and folklore tales. Let's explore a few of the creatures from the deep, and nautical mysteries that have kept tongues wagging for centuries...
Sea Sirens
In Greek and Roman mythology sea sirens were mermaid like creatures, who entranced their victims with their beautiful singing voices, luring sailors into the sea to their death.
With a strong Roman heritage in the town, it is no surprise that tales of sea sirens were told regularly.
Ships that did not return, and were believed to be lost at sea, were said to have run into mermaids or sirens. Unexplained deaths on these vessels, or drownings were again, blamed on mythological creatures.
Here is a local legend about Sea Sirens on the rocks of the headland:
In the dark waters of Scarborough, a sea siren sang her enchanting melodies from the rocks below the Castle. Her voice, like the softest caress of the ocean breeze, lured sailors to the rocky shores. Mesmerised by her ethereal beauty, they navigated their vessels toward her haunting song. Yet, those who drew too close met a watery fate. Her laughter echoed as she vanished beneath the waves, a seductive guardian of the sea. Scarborough's fishermen, whispering tales of her allure and peril, were said to pay tribute with tokens to ensure safe passage - a coin would be thrown overboard when passing the headland, ensuring the siren's calls would not be heard.
Selkies
Sea Monsters
In the 1930s, Yorkshire newspapers reported on the giant squid that had washed ashore on Scarborough's South Bay beach - measuring over 17ft, it was a magnificent beast. It is currently preserved in alcohol in the basement of the London Natural History Museum.
Many tales of Kraken and sea monsters are actually believed to be giant squid and other large deep sea creatures.
Scottish in origin, Selkies were half woman half seal, and again told a cautionary tale to seafarers. Tales of Selkies became common in Scarborough due to the "Fisher Lasses" (or Herring Girls) who came down from Scotland and the North East to process the daily catches from fishing boats in the mid-1800s.
Ghost Ships & Shipwrecks
With such a vast maritime history, it is no surprise that Scarborough has witnessed a huge number of shipwrecks and unexplained mysteries.
Wrecks:
During the great storm of 1880, 10 ships went down in one night alone, just outside the harbour area, including the schooner Glastry which was swept off course and wrecked on the sands on 28th October 1880. Another wooden vessel (thought to be "The Vivid") ran aground on South Bay beach, and was visible at low tide until very recently.
Since 1500 it is estimated that at least 2 ships have wrecked per week along the Yorkshire Coast - and around 50,000 ships lie on the ocean floor along this stretch of coastline.
In 1976, the trawler Admiral von Trump left Scarborough harbour on a pretty standard outing heading for Barnacle Bank fishing ground. It ran into Black Nab rocks just off Saltwick Bay, and to this day no one knows exactly why. Some say it was intentionally steered into the rocks - the shipwreck remains today and is visible at low tide.
If you're interested in ship wrecks, check out Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre's website, or call into the museum on Eastborough. A full list of shipwrecks can be downloaded here (courtesy of Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre), and a map drawn up in the 1970s showing local shipwrecks can be seen on Scarborough Maritime heritage's website here.
Ghost Ships:
Of course with the amount of shipwrecks, several stories of Ghost Ships have surfaced.
Black-Eyed Susan:
One misty evening off the Scarborough coast, fishermen spotted a ghost ship gliding silently through the fog. Its tattered sails billowed in the eerie breeze, and its timeworn hull glistened with spectral light - but one of the fishermen believed it to be the Black Eyed Susan schooner which sank in the Great Storm of 1880. The fishermen watched in awe as the ghostly vessel seemed to defy the laws of nature, sailing against the wind. Whispers of long-lost sailors echoed across the water. Legends spoke of a cursed crew doomed to forever roam the sea. As quickly as it appeared, the ghost ship vanished into the mist, leaving behind a haunting mystery that would be retold for generations, a tale of souls eternally adrift.
Snowdrop Whaling Vessel:
Built by Thomas Walker in Scarborough in 1886, the Snowdrop wrecked in 1908 on a whaling trip to the Arctic. In the icy waters off Newfoundland, the deep-sea whaling vessel had set sail, determined to harvest the giants of the ocean. But its mission took a grim turn when it vanished without a trace. Years later, it returned, a ghostly spectre, drifting into the harbor. There were no signs of life aboard, the crew had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that would forever haunt the shores of Newfoundland, a chilling reminder of the perils that awaited in the unforgiving depths of the sea.
A few years later, a message in a bottle washed ashore in St Abb's Head in Scotland. It read, " Captain or anyone who receives this message shall receive the remains of the Dundee Whaler Snowdrop. Collided with an iceberg. No hope. 14th November 1908. Sinking fast."
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
From the cobbled slipway, you can walk out to the end of the West Pier to get some amazing shots of the town from the water.
THINGS TO DO
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Call into The Lookout for a brew and sit on the balcony admiring the harbour
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Check out the artists' studios on the top floor of the West Pier
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Book onto a boat trip
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Try your hand at crabbing over the harbour wall
CHECK POINT NAVIGATION
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