Dredging

[kurutai]

Brian I just happened to be on this cruise ,we pulled into Maderia we went ashore I looked down and there was this pile of rust sitting right below the quay astern of us , anyhow my daughter started to play up so I took her back to the ship this was a few hours later now this pile of rust is sitting higher in the water I saw she had a Portuguese name painted on her bow ,when I had a closer look I could see her previous name which was welded on to the ship had been painted over I seem to recall that the Portuguese seamen who I was talking to telling me that a Bow boat had sunk previously can't remember full details other than I would not have fancied putting to sea in her all a long time ago thanks to your good self memories come back , as I have said before I packed it all in early 1970 I would not have wanted to go to sea working as anything other than an AB when the talk was of us having to work in the engine room that was it for me regards Dave .

[Captain Kong]

Hi Dave,
here is a Fascinating film, video , of the BOWBELLE on the bottom of the Atlantic. Incredible scenes through the entire ship, accommodation, cargo and Void Spaces, engine room and just about everywhere,
It seems very strange to see where I used to live, and work all wrecked and under water, now home to a million fish.

https://youtu.be/iY5srcatzEw

Cheers
Brian

[kurutai]

Thanks for that Brian great video makes me remember the old Bow Pride I was on an old sludge boat once filling in time before I joined the Blue funnel line ship Agapenor I had to do my own cooking unless I wanted to pay the cook I lasted a week long gone days Brian this site is my last taste of going to sea how it was when we where young all now long gone as many on here have said , it just leaves me to wish all my friends of long ago and all my friends I,ll never know a very happy and healthy new year best regards Dave .

[Captain Kong]

I noticed that the wheel, binnacle and the Telegraph had disappeared out of the wheelhouse.


I was on the Bowknight, she was later renamed Sand Kite after I left, and then she ran into the Thames Barrier and sank on top of it causing panic in London with a full cargo on board., That was a big salvage job. The Bowqueen sank off the coast with loss of life , the Bowsprite also broke in half killing 6 crewmen. and many others of that fleet had many collisions and other disasters.
I was glad to get out after doing nearly four years in the company, ;

I must add,,,,,, I never had a mishap, near miss, collision or stranding, of any kind of happening while I was there.

When on the BOWBELLE running up to Battersea under all the bridges, we got loads of abuse off people, some urinating on the Sailors working on deck, garbage, cans , bottles were thrown down at us. and screams of Murderers etc. after the disaster, we were a different crew than the ones of the night of the Marchioness.
Cheers
Brian.

[kurutai]

My old shipmate from the Suevic back in 65 is staying with us over the Christmas and New year he was in Bowsprite the same time as I was in the Bowspride .
Brian what year was the Bowsprite lost regards Dave .

[Captain Kong]

I was talking to the Captain of the BOWSPRITE when we shared a hotel while doing a GMDSS Course in Fleetwood.
He was bound for Nieuport and in heavy weather the port was closed and he was told not to go there, He said he would go anyway and it may be open when he got there, It Was Closed.
so on the way back across the Channel she broke in half, the Focsle head came right over and crushed the Wheel House killing some crew. The forward end sank and the after end remained afloat. and the survivors were picked up by a mine sweeper.

Dredging and shipping

Capsizing of "Bowsprite"

The “Bowsprite” was a small British flagged aggregates gravel dredger, supplying the British building industry with sand and gravel.

She broke in two during a force 9 gale close to the Kwintebank, off the Belgian coast, in December 1988, with the loss of 4 out of 10 crew.

Attached is the complete MAIB report.

Report on capsizing Bowsprite (.pdf 1.8 Mb)
Fast facts
“Bowsprite” was underway from the Thames towards the sandwinning area off the Belgian coast.

Due to deteriorating weather “Bowsprite” wished to call at Nieuwpoort, but was not allowed in, the harbour was already closed.

Subsequently, the Bowsprite’s captain decided to return to the Thames (a 90 mile trip), steering away from the lee-shore (Belgian coast).

During the return trip wind turned to gale force 9. Bowsprite was steaming head in the waves.
The ship broke in two halves, the forward part sunk, the aft part was salvaged, later scrapped.

Lessons Learnt:

Sand and gravel are heavy cargo (density 1.85 to 2 ton/m3)
On most hopperdredgers, the cargo is located in one midships hold, resulting in huge bending moments (sagging), especially when wavelengths are same as ship’s length.
Bending moments may well exceed design limits in heavy weather, as probably happened with “Bowsprite”.
“Bowsprite” was not a new ship (23 years old).

Here are some photos of BOWSPRITE and after she broke in half with the wheelhouse crushed ALSO of the BOWBELL and MARCHIONESS.
Cheers
Brian