Tag Archives: Hull trawler

Survival and grief: The story of the Ross Cleveland tragedy

Fifty-five years ago last month the public inquiry into the loss of the Hull trawler Ross Cleveland and the deaths of 18 men began at Hull City Hall. It was the last time Harry Eddom ever spoke publicly about how he survived the disaster that claimed the lives of the rest of the ship’s crew eight months earlier. During the three-week inquiry, his dramatic witness testimony was only rivalled by evidence given by Len Whur, skipper of another Hull trawler Kingston Andalusite, the nearest vessel to the Ross Cleveland at the time of the tragedy. Whur was desperately trying to save his own ship after being caught in the worst storm experienced off the north-west Icelandic coast in living memory when he received a radio message from his cousin Phil Gay, skipper of the Ross Cleveland. Photos, >>click to read<< 08:26

Hull Gaul trawler sinking anniversary events get cash boost

Events marking the 50th anniversary of the sinking of a Hull trawler with the loss of 36 men have received funding from the city council. The Gaul went down after being caught in heavy seas in the Barents Sea off Norway on 8 February 1974. Four days of commemorations are planned for 2024, including a new mural, a dedicated Hull City football match and an education programme for children. A civic event at Hull Minster and walking tours are also planned Andrews and Docklands ward has been granted £5,000 to fund the events. >>click to read<< 11:28

Historic fishing trawler Arctic Corsair to be at the centre of major Hull tourist attraction

The Arctic Corsair has been open as a visitor attraction since 1999 from its berth on the River Hull between Drypool and Myton Bridge. Britain’s last surviving distant water ‘sidewinder’ trawler will move to a temporary new home at Alexandra Dock.,,,After 2020, the trawler is scheduled to undergo a major restoration and will then be moved permanently to a dry dock at North End Shipyard, where she will become the focal point of a new visitor centre telling the story of the port’s history.  >click to read< 13:34

A Christmas Day disaster

St Finbarr’s final trip was plagued by bad luck from the start. She took 14 days battling atrocious weather to get to Newfoundland’s Grand Banks – a trip usually done in half that time. Electrical faults reported from previous trips caused three delays before she even set sail from Hull’s St Andrew’s Dock on November 16th, 1966. On her maiden voyage in late 1964, St Finbarr, the most expensive Hull trawler ever at £500,000 (£13m in today’s money), smashed the national record hauling in 488 tons and 17 hundredweight, and had continued to do so since. click here to read the story 14:25