Propeller Hammered into Rock: The Night the Regulus Vanished

Propeller Hammered into Rock: The Night the Regulus Vanished

A ship's propeller was hammered into solid cliff rock as if by an enormous force, yet the men who did it vanished without a trace. The SS Regulus sank on October 23, 1910, with every soul aboard lost and no bodies recovered - so how did one of her propellers end up embedded in a cliff face, and who made the fateful decisions that night?

In this episode, we tell the factual account of the Regulus's final voyage, the weather and mechanical failures that led to the ship being adrift, and the three choices offered to the tug crews as the gale closed in - leaving the central decisions and the propeller’s strange fate unresolved until you hear what happened next.

Person: SS Regulus Date: October 23, 1910 Location: Leeward Cove (wreck at fifteen fathoms) Event: Tail shaft broke off Shoal Bay; tug tow chosen at ~10:30 PM Oct 22, 1910 Period: Launched October 26, 1878; 32 years in service

- The Regulus was 32 years old at the time of sinking and was launched on October 26, 1878. - The ship foundered in the early hours of October 23, 1910, during a gale tracked north from Cuba. - The wreck lies on the bottom of Leeward Cove at a depth of fifteen fathoms. - The tail shaft broke while the Regulus was at anchor off Shoal Bay, leaving her adrift in worsening weather. - At approximately 10:30 PM on October 22, 1910, the decision was made to begin the tow immediately in the dark rather than evacuate crew or wait for daylight.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].