The SS Stassa was a 82m-long, 1,685-tonne Panamanian steel steamship that was built in 1951 and sank en route from Archangel to Limerick, carrying a cargo of timber.
Photo: Paul Webster
Making her way down the Minch between Skye and the Outer Hebrides in good conditions, she somehow managed to run ashore on Renish Point at the eastern end of Harris Sound on 15 July 1966.
She was towed by the Stornoway lifeboat into the shelter of nearby Rodel Bay, where she was then anchored.
The captain refused any further assistance. Over the next four days, she slowly filled with water until eventually sinking on 19 July, 1966 (just a day before England beat France 2-0 in their World Cup group, fact fans). The wreck is in a sheltered bay, lying on its starboard side. It rises 10m from the sea bed at a maximum depth of about 20m.
The sea bed is composed of soft, fine mud and sand, which can cause problems with the visibility (especially in this sheltered area, as it takes a long time to settle once it has been stirred up). But since the wreck is on
its side, divers tend to swim parallel to the deck rather than over it.
