More information : Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:
Horizontal Datum: OGB (1)
Vertical Datum: LAT (1)
Buoyage: CINC (1)
24-AUG-1987: Request to purchase wreckage, thought to be the remains of this vessel. Located at SW tip of Gull Rock at Prawle Point in 50 12 03N 003 43 18W. (1)
28-JUL-1988: Reported to have been sold. (1)
Large quantities of shot, barrel parts, buckles, buttons, compasses, sewing items, latches/handles, pistol flints, cannonballs, coins and various other bits and pieces recovered from this wreck, SW tip of Gull Rock, Prawle Point. (Droit A/3310) (8)
A barrel hoop, a tap, a plate, 2 grenade fuses, 123 nails, 4 weights, 4 handles, 6 buttons, 54 cannonballs, 3 coins and 235 musket shot recovered from this wreck, position 50 12.05N 003 43.30W. (Droit A/4248) (8)
Her wreckage is scattered from Prawle Point to the west past Gull Rock, where copper pins with an Admiralty broad-arrow mark and copper sheathing have been found, along with barbed nails and other artefacts. There is a bed of concreted cannonballs, possibly from this wreck, underlying part of the wreckage of the HEYE-P. (10)(11)(12)
Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:
HMS CROCODILE, a 6th rate man o' war, ran ashore on the rocks at Prawle Point in thick fog. Having established that the ship had run aground and not hit another vessel, attempts were made to refloat her. Despite efforts to lighten the ship (ending with the removal of her masts) she began to take in water and was abandoned. (2)
'The CROCODILE M. of war, from Bombay, is lost off the Start.' (3)
Length x breadth 34.75 x 9.75m, tonnage 519 BM. Listed in the heading summary as a Fifth Rate; vessel described as a Sixth Rate at the beginning of the text following the summary, however. (4)
Returning to England from India, the Scilly Isles were sighted on the evening of 8th May, and a course was set to take her up Channel. The weather became increasingly hazy, and by nightfall there was a thick fog. Just before 3 o'clock in the morning she ran hard aground on the rocks near Prawle Point...The fog was so thick that when the captain arrived on deck he cursed the officer of the watch for colliding with another ship. 'Good God, Sir, despite all my precautions you have got foul of some vessel!' When it was confirmed that they were ashore, anchors were taken out astern by boat to attempt to pull her off, the booms were heaved overboard, and water casks emptied. Finally the masts were cut away. She would not budge and with 7ft of water in the hold and the tide ebbing, threatening to overturn her, she was abandoned...At his court-martial the Captain was criticised for failing to order the use of the lead when known to be in restricted waters in fog, and was warned for his future conduct. (4)(6)
Vessel a Porcupine class 6th rate, Williams design, dimensions 114 x 94 x 32 x 10ft, 514 tons BM; wrecked on the Scilly Rocks [sic] off Prawle Point on 09-MAY-1784; the wreck has been found and is being excavated by divers. (5)
Lost at Prawle Point. (7)
Sixth Rate of 24 guns 519 tons BM, 114 x 32ft. Lost 1784 off Start Point. (9)
At 2.30am HMS CROCODILE grounded on the west side of Prawle Point, but all the crew got ashore in safety. There was a good deal of salvage carried out at the time, but only 14 guns were recovered. (10)(11)(12)
Launched: 25-APR-1781 (5)(9)
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard (4)(5)(6)(9)
Where Built: Portsmouth (4)(5)(6)(9)
Armament: 24 guns (4)(6)(9); upper deck 22 x 9pdr, quarter-deck 2 x 6pdr (5)
Commanding Officer: Captain John Williamson RN (4)(6)
Crew: normal complement 160 (5); 170 (4)(6)(11)(12)
Owner: Royal Navy [all sources]; wreck sold to Terry Crocker [source not known]
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Notebook D/62; F8
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