Fylgia, which was built in wood on an iron frame, was travelling from Faxe in Denmark bound for Hanko in Finland carrying kaolin, a clay used for porcelain production and other purposes.

When the ship approaches Huvudskär on 19 December, she has no pilots on board despite the severe weather. The thick blanket of snow makes it increasingly difficult to navigate, and when the two men in the wheelhouse lose their bearings, Fylgia runs aground at Borgsbredan about five nautical miles south of Huvudskär.

But because of the rough seas she is able to free herself from the rocks almost immediately, suffering major damage to the bottom. Water leaks into the engine room and the captain sets the highest speed towards Huvudskär.

Just before Fylgia’s grounding, the vessel is observed from the pilot lookout tower on Huvudskär and the lifeboat is manned straight away. However, no sooner had the pilots put out from the quay than they saw the ship run aground.

The lifeboat crew signals to Fylgia how to steer towards calmer and shallower waters, but when the lifeboat arrives Fylgia’s engine stops running.

The crew is rescued in the lifeboat and soon after Fylgia sinks, with her masts visible above the surface.

Today, Fylgia remains on an upright keel with her hull relatively intact. The superstructure has fallen to the port side of the wreckage.