Pelee Lifeboat and Union Star disaster

[Captain Kong]

I have just watched the Penlee Lifeboat and Union Star disaster on BBC Channel Four at 10pm tonight. the 30 th anniversary.
What a terrible night that was and only two years after the Pool Fisher disaster further along the coast.
The Union Star broke down on her maiden Voyage in seas up to 60 feet in height. A Dutch Salvage Tug was on the scene but the Master of Union Star refused to sign a Lloyds open agreement. She could have been save then. The Master also had his wife and two young step daughters on board. with a crew of three.
The Pelee lifeboat was launched. The helicopter was overhead, the ship drifting fast to the Rocks with two anchors down.Then it was too close for the tug to be of any help.The Helicopter was having great difficulty getting a winchman on board and had to return to base because Salt water was getting into the turbines and jamming. This happened to me when I was flying with Court Helicopters out of Cape Town when we had salt in the turbines and we crashed into the ocean from the deck of the Katrina Maersk in 1975 in heavy weather.
The Lifeboat struggled to get alongside and was washed right over the deck of the Union Star, they eventually got some of the people off and then silence. The Coast Guard heard nothing at all. Next morning the Union Star was found at the foot of the cliffs upside down the Lifeboat was in little peices and all the bodies found except one were just pieces. No survivors. A very grim documentary, I was tense all the way through this whilst watching.
Brave men and a Master who would not sign a form that could have saved them.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I have just watched the Penlee Lifeboat and Union Star disaster on BBC Channel Four at 10pm tonight. the 30 th anniversary.
What a terrible night that was and only two years after the Pool Fisher disaster further along the coast.
The Union Star broke down on her maiden Voyage in seas up to 60 feet in height.. A very grim documentary, I was tense all the way through this whilst watching.
Brave men and a Master who would not sign a form that could have saved them.

I have watched it twice now Brian, it never fails to impress and distress. Impress with the bravery of all concerned including the helicopter crew. The calm efficient voice transcripts from ship, lifeboat and helicopter as if they were discussing a shopping list. Distresses because whilst watching in hindsight you are only too aware of what the outcome will be. My wife was in tears at the end.

Thank goodness the responsibility of accepting a salvage offer has now been taken out of the hands of the master; who has enough to worry about in such circumstances without considering the commercial implications for his owner's financial well being.

We shall always owe the likes of these men undying gratitude for placing themselves in danger to help others. God Bless them.

[Keith Tindell]

I also watched this terrible situation last night, second time i have seen it also. The skipper was very young, and some of his decisions would have been influenced by having his pregnant wife and kids aboard. interesting to hear some thoughts from you ex captains on not accepting the tow?, the skipper was completely exonerated at the enquiry, but i agree, they would have all been here today if the tow had been taken, regards Keith

[Captain Kong]

That is right Ivan,
Since that incident the law has been changed and now the Coast Guard have the power to take full command of the situation and if necessary to order the tug to take the vessel in Tow.
As you say, the voices were so calm, no sense of panic or of impending doom.Very Brave men indeed.

[Keith Tindell]

What was also amazing was that the lifeboat engines kept running, even after being deposited on the Union Star decks. Brave men. A ship on its maiden voyage should have ben a happy one. what was unclear was if the tug was in the area, or just being asked to attend from an adjacent port?, if the tug was not nearby i suspect that it could not arrive in time to help in those conditions, force11. I agree , to hear those radio messages was indeed very sad. Keith

[Captain Kong]

I also think that a ship of that size should not have been out in that kind of weather and headed round Lands Ends with the full force of the Atlantic against it.
Ship owners do not like their Masters to take the initiative and go and find shelter overnight.
If you cannot do it then we will find a Master who will. is their motto.
Also the crew she had, three/ four men? unbelievable. I have seen the Union Star`s sister ships , they are far too small for an Atlantic storm.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I also think that a ship of that size should not have been out in that kind of weather and headed round Lands Ends with the full force of the Atlantic against it.
Ship owners do not like their Masters to take the initiative and go and find shelter overnight.
If you cannot do it then we will find a Master who will. is their motto.
Also the crew she had, three/ four men? unbelievable. I have seen the Union Star`s sister ships , they are far too small for an Atlantic storm.

Having sailed on a vessel of similar size, I quite agree Brian

I know it was an accident of the sea and as such our mistress is very unpredictable.. I think that most of us would never have taken our families on a vessel on its maiden voyage, the vessel being untested in bad weather conditions.( Even vessels built from the same plan behave differently even when loaded with the same cargo). Having sailed on vessels on maiden voyages and watched them bury the first two or three hatches beneath the waves you are always hoping that she rises up again especially as you know that for the vessel this is the initiation ceremony, will she pass or fail.

The master had some difficult choices to make, by placing his family on board he was mindful of the fact that had he sought shelter then he would have been accused of putting his family's well being above his duty to owners. Had he sought shelter then it may have been relieved of command and found it difficult to get another position as master. We are aware that most of those who "fix" the ships for voyages, especially in the short sea trades, already have the next cargo lined up and never take inclement weather into consideration but base their calculations for picking up the next cargo solely on distance to steam and time to discharge.

Masters of short sea and coasting vessels have (or had) a lot more pressure on them than deep sea men to "catch the tide" so that they don't miss a cargo and the subsequent cargoes lined up. Shippers have no sympathy for a missed cargo and will load it on the next vessel available regardless whether or not it is a same company vessel.

From the number of short sea vessels that now seek shelter in our bay it seems that attitudes may be changing, also the sheer non-availabilty of substitute vessels has had a distinct affect on commercial reasoning where there was a lack before when substitute vessels were readily available.

The above does not take away the bravery of all those involved in that sad situation but may explain some of the pressures placed on the master, that were not explained in the documentary. As a Supt I had many an argument with the commercial department about not taking weather into consideration when voyage fixing and making short "laydays" almost impossible to meet. The weather element also included the Spring and Autumn fog aspects.

The above is just an observation.

[Keith Tindell]

although the programme shocked anyone who had not seen it before, i just hope the person, persons making the decision to close coastguard stations around our coast were watching!!!, and hope they could not get to sleep afterwards. just a thought keith tindell

[Ivan Cloherty]

although the programme shocked anyone who had not seen it before, i just hope the person, persons making the decision to close coastguard stations around our coast were watching!!!, and hope they could not get to sleep afterwards. just a thought keith tindell

Keith I would doubt it very much, they would either be at a Christmas party, or finishing their meal in some fancy restaurant at tax payers expense, as it would seem the majority of people do not realise they live on an island.

[Captain Kong]

I have just been to Fleetwood for the last few hours and tho` it has nothing to do with the Penlee, it is about the Cruel Sea.100 yards from my other house there is a memorial to 21 Seamen who all perished on the Steam Trawler GOTH that just disapeared tween Greenland and Iceland , she was iced up in a storm and tried to shelter off Icelands north coast then vanished on 16 December 1948, there were some flowers on it today. A few years ago an Icelandic Trawler pulled up the Funnel of the Goth. This was returned to Fleetwood and it is now there with a memorial to the 21 dead Seamen
.
.
You are right about the Coast Guard closures. It is a Criminal act by the Government.