Knastegrunden

At low tide, the highest point of the shoal is visible, which is when you will be able to see that the tip of the shoal is a large rock, which will certainly stay put even if a large ship should strike it.

Several keels or hulls have scraped against this capricious rock, however, the most famous grounding took place on June 20th 1808, when an English battleship hit Knastegrunden and got stuck. This incidence was a part of the Napoleonic Wars; earlier that year, Spanish forces had been quartered on Fyn – some in Faaborg – in order to protect South Fyn and its surrounding islands. Spain was Denmark’s ally, and the Spanish forces sought to restrain English privateering in the area. In addition to the Spanish forces, Danish gunboats had been stationed at Svendborg, Faaborg and Assens. Two gunboats with Danish crews under the command of naval lieutenant Bruun were stationed at Faaborg. Moreover, an armed fieldwork had been established near Dyreborg in order to protect the entrance to Faaborg, and another one was located just east of Faaborg – the latter paid for by the influential merchant called Ploug.