One of the most enjoyable sunrises I have ever witnessed in my life. As this location is accessed only during low tide, I had to plan my visit during a very low tide around sunrise on a day with clear sky. Well, that morning I was very lucky as all elements fell into place and the area revealed its best. The funny thing is that, although this is a hot spot location for landscape photographers, I was the only person there.

Admiral Von Tromp

For those who don't know the place and the story, this is the shipwreck of Admiral Von Tromp. The Admiral Von Tromp was a Scarborough, England based fishing trawler that ran aground on 30/09/1976. The exact circumstance of the accident remain a mystery as the boat was on completely the wrong course and a senior nautical surveyor at the inquest stated it appeared it was driven onto the rocks deliberately.

No-one will ever know the real reasons as the man at the wheel John ‘Scotch Jack’ Addison was killed, along with one other crew member. All that remains at Saltwick bay today is a few parts of the trawler's engine. Full details of the accident are covered in much greater detail on the website of the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre.

The Picture

As I wanted to showcase the remnants of the shipwrecked fishing trawler in their environment, I opted for a 6x17 panoramic format. This allowed me to include the shipwreck as the main subject in the centre of the frame, Black Nab as the midground figure and the Saltwick bay cliffs as the distant background. The early rising sun on my right side offered a lovely splash of warm light on the entire scene, especially on the shipwreck itself.