Boston Sea Ranger LT 328
(sister ship is Boston Sea Knight)
Built 1976 J.R Hepworth and Co Ltd, Hull. Yard Nr 121.
171 grt; 84 ft x 24.3 ft x 8.6 ft
Owners Boston Deep Sea Fisheries, Lowestoft
Report S 501 MAIF (one of 37 Fishing vessel losses that year).
There is some considerable degree of sadness here with regard to Penzance Harbour.
Boston Sea Ranger had come in to Penzance on the 5th December 1977.
She was waiting for the lock gates to be opened as she wished to unload.
Also inside the dock was her sister also waiting, but to exit, now empty.
The dock staff made the decision that there was too much swell to risk pumping out and opening the gates.
Boston Sea Ranger set off to sea again, and whilst fishing off Gwennap Head in a force 4 gale, she was swamped.
The hold filled and she capsized and sank in just seven minutes.
Arctic Buccaneer and St Benedict were in the area and came to the scene, assisting.
The Sennen Lifeboat found two men, who later died in hospital.
Three bodies were found by Lifeboats and helicopters and an RAF Nimrod.
Three men survived out of the crew of eight.
The men that died...
John Clark
T Smith
T Switzen
Michael Studd
Ernest L Poidevan
~~~~
Raymond Forward
