Stranded in Ramsey Bay: The Wreck of the Steam Trawler Cevic – June 1927
In the early summer of 1927, the quiet waters of Ramsey Bay on the Isle of Man became the scene of a dramatic maritime mishap that would leave the steam trawler Cevic a shattered hulk on the rocks. The story began on 25 June, when the Cevic, seeking shelter from rough weather, anchored in the bay off Ramsey’s south beach while her skipper and three officers went ashore.
As the wind and sea conditions worsened, trouble soon followed: the small lifeboat moored alongside the trawler began to take on water, and the second engineer climbed aboard in an attempt to bail it out. Before long, however, the rope securing the boat snapped and it was swept away, carrying him toward shore.
Back on the Cevic, the remaining crewmen — now without their officers — made a fateful decision. Fearing for their colleague, they raised anchor and tried to pursue the drifting punt. In their haste to reach him through the choppy seas, the trawler was brought too close inshore and ran aground on the submerged rocks south of Ramsey.
With the anchor unable to hold and the ship pounding against the rocky seabed, the Cevic began to break up. Realising their peril, the crew signalled for help. The Ramsey lifeboat, Matthew Simpson — a traditional pulling and sailing lifeboat — was launched into the turbulent waters. Despite immense difficulty — repeatedly narrowly avoiding being dashed against the trawler — the lifeboat crew managed to reach and rescue all six men from the Cevic.
Once the crew were safe, the Cevic was left to the mercy of the sea. Driven firmly onto the rocks, she was declared a total wreck, her hull settling where the tide would eventually reveal her remains at low water. Today fragments of the vessel’s rusting structure can still sometimes be glimpsed near Port Lewaigue, a tangible reminder of the perilous nature of life at sea and the bravery of the Isle of Man’s lifeboat crews.
