Thai

On the night of 1 to 2 December, the cargo steamer Thai was travelling south with empty holds. In the fierce weather, the ship ran aground on an island off Brämön. The Thai's propeller broke off, rendering the ship unmanoeuvrable. Driven by the strong easterly winds, the vessel drifted towards the mainland, where it was eventually pushed ashore at Hälludden.

The crew was able to disembark safely without getting their feet wet. Despite the rough treatment, the ship remained relatively intact, and the shipowner decided to salvage the Thai. Since a salvage operation by a professional salvage company would likely be very costly, it was decided that the shipowner would handle the salvage personally.

In the summer of 1918, the first attempt was made to free the Thai. A slipway was constructed in an effort to refloat the ship, but the vessel remained firmly stuck. As a backup plan, a rampart was built around the ship, then sealed and filled with water. This method proved successful, and in July 1919 – 19 months after the stranding – the Thai was finally freed and towed to Sundsvall for repairs. The remains of the “Thai dam” can still be seen in satellite images today.

After the repairs, the ship was sold to a shipping company in Helsingborg and renamed Oswin. 30 years later, it changed hands again and was renamed Harding.

The day before Christmas Eve in 1954, Harding ran aground just east of Märket. She developed a severe leak in her bow and began to fill up with water. She remained on the rocks for some time before sinking.