Norwegian Wooden Barque Sailing Vessel Built by B.Balchen & Co 1892 (369 Gt) Under Command of Master O.A.Hagen / Marine Seascape Oil Paintings

Large Late 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas of The Three Masted Vessel named Pronto. This historically important painting is the only known surviving example painted shortly after the vessels construction in 1892 and sometime before its demise, after running ashore in bad weather and becoming a shipwreck thereafter in 1895. This painting provides the only detailed visual record of the vessel at sea, other than the official black and white shipbuilders blueprint plans. The Pronto was a wooden barque built by B Balchen & Co, Norway, in 1892. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 369gt, 347nt; 141ft 1in length x 29ft 4in breadth x 12ft 1in depth; 1 deck. At the time of loss on 21 April 1895, the barque was still owned by its builder and under the command of master O A Hagen. It was on passage from Mauritius to Garston with a cargo of sugar when it ran ashore at Porth-Post and became stranded. A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore-and-aft. Shipwreck Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed at this location but may be in the vicinity. Source Of Information Board of Trade Wreck Return 1895 Appendix C table 1 pg140 (662) Larn and Larn Shipwreck database 2002 Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1 July 1893 - 30 June 1894 number 849. Telephone. Enquiries. 07765 856171