From the Tukka balcony looking south/east the wrecks are scattered all along the coastline…

There are numerous stories tied to this famous shipwreck that extols the heroism and fortitude of the peoples of the Cayman Islands. Nearly all stories end with the awarding of ‘tax free status’ to the Cayman Islands as a result of their people’s bravery during the lifesaving efforts of this disaster that occurred just off the East End of Grand Cayman.

The most popular version of this story reads something like this…

“One of the most told stories in the islands history is the story of “The Wreck of the Ten Sails”. Legend says that one night in November, 1788, the “Cordelia”, the lead ship of 10 in a convoy of merchant ships returning to Britain from Jamaica went aground off this very east end point. The Ships manifest confirmed she was carrying exotic coffee beans, sugar and barrels of rum when she ran off course during a violent storm, which left her marooned on this very reef some 220 years ago.

A signal was given out to warn off the other ships, but was misunderstood as a call to follow closer and nine more ships sailed hopelessly to their doom upon the reef. The people of East End are reported to have shown great heroism in ensuring that no lives were lost and legend further states that one of the lives saved was one of royalty. For this, King George III is said to have granted the islands freedom from conscription, while another report claims that freedom from taxation was bestowed on the people of the islands as a reward.

The visible wrecks you can see today are the…

441-foot, ex-World War II liberty ship Ridgefield, which ran aground off the east end of the island in 1962, interestingly enough with a cargo of beer & The 237-foot, Liberian built steam cargo ship named the SS RimandiMibaju. Once again running aground on the same traitorous piece of water on the 9th of May 1964.

Tukka provides binoculars’ every lunch service to get a visual on this one of Caymans most historic sights