The ecoRoute project, represented in Madeira by CEAM – Centre for Modern and Contemporary Archaeology Studies, carried out an underwater shipwreck cleaning of the ‘Prompt’ this morning.
Due to the special conditions of the dive site and the work to be carried out, with safety constraints in mind, this cleaning was carried out with a reduced number of divers, supported by the FocusNatura diving centre, the Oceanic Association, and the Regional Canoeing Association of Madeira.
However, the ecoRoute project, through CEAM and local partners, has a series of other activities already scheduled, namely: – Cleaning of Praia do Toco, on the 26th of September, at 10:00 am (World Maritime Day); – Underwater Cleaning of Praia do Forte de São Tiago, on the 27th of September, at 10:00 am (World Tourism Day).
The wreck of the Prompt, as it was locally known, is located about 320 meters south of Pontinha, more precisely the Fortress of Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Ilhéu, in a anchorage area of the city of Funchal.
The Prompt was built in 1895 by William Dobson & Co. in Newcastle on the bank of the River Tyne.
Its structure was made of steel and was about 30.6 meters long, 6.4 meters wide, and 2.2 meters deep. The engine consisted of 3 cylinders, which delivered 35 rotor power.
Prompt initially operated in the Port of London, in 1899, she moved to the port of Hamburg and, in 1901, transited to the Canary Islands, where she was operated by the Compañia de Explotacion y Salvamento de Las Palmas, being the only steamship in the fleet until 1907.
In 1907, she was transferred to Santa Cruz, in Tenerife. The ship arrived in Madeira between 1913 and 1914. It worked mainly as a cabotage ship and was used as a communication and transport ship between locations around the island until 1920.
In 1920, the vessel returned to the Canary Islands, where it underwent major repairs, including the complete replacement of the hull. At this time, technical defects were noted in the ship was not allowed to exceed more than 5 knots, so was converted into a water frigate and returned to Madeira. On the 18th of April 1929 at 17:30 the Prompt sank while at anchor off the Islet of Forte de São José.
According to the report, the tank was full of approximately 200 tonnes of fresh water, bound for Porto Santo, when there was a rupture in the hull through the tank area, allowing water to enter.
The ecoRoute project aims to design and implement a multidimensional and integrated approach that promotes the intelligent offer of Underwater Tourism, Cultural and Nature (UCNT) in the outermost regions of the Azores, Martinique and Madeira, allowing their transformation into smart UCNT destinations, with a new ecological focus that is based on natural and cultural resources, diversifying and developing smart UCNT services for the benefit of residents and visitors.
The project co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP-5-OR), involves 9 partners from several countries, namely, Atlantis Symvouleftiki Anonymi Etaireia Atlantis Consulting Sa (ATL), and Enalies Technolo-Gies Ike (ETEC), in Greece; the Universite D’aix Marseille (AMU), in France, in the Martinique archipelago, the Deep Turtle Plongee (DTP) and the Association Archeologie Petites Antilles (AAPA); the New University of Lisbon (UNL), in the Azores archipelago, the Azores Sea Observatory (OMA) and the Faial Sustainable Tourism Association (ATSF) and in the Madeira archipelago the Center for Modern and Contemporary Archaeology Studies (CEAM). This project aims to create synergies and new policies for the integrated management of underwater Cultural and Natural Heritage, in symbiosis.
The preservation of underwater heritage and the environmental management of our waters are collective responsibilities, so this project has several local partners in the various initiatives it intends to promote.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
