Post by Administrator on Mar 20, 2022 17:50:36 GMT
Forty years ago today Sheerness lifeboat crew rescued Radio Caroline DJs from the sinking Mi Amigo.
It was the original ‘ship that rocked.’ But 40 years ago today (Thursday) the Mi Amigo, home to original pop pirates Radio Caroline, finally disappeared beneath the waves in a violent force 10 storm.
In a daring rescue which lasted 12 hours in appalling weather, the crew of the Sheerness lifeboat saved the lives of everyone onboard – including the ship’s canary.
Leading the operation was colourful RNLI coxswain Charlie Bowry, who was later presented with the Institute’s coveted silver medal.
It was during the day that the radio station’s 60-year-old ship started dragging its anchor and drifted 10 nautical miles onto the Long Sand sandbank off Southend.
As the tide rose, the ship started to float free. But the bottom of the boat began being buffeted on the seabed with such a force the steel plates sprung a leak and water gushed into the engine room.
When the bilge pumps couldn’t cope, the three British DJs and a Dutch engineer called the Coastguard who dispatched Sheerness lifeboat the Helen Turnbull.
The ship had been broadcasting wall-to-wall pop since Irish businessman Ronan O’Rahilly hit upon the idea of breaking the BBC’s monopoly of music and launched Radio Caroline on Easter Sunday, 1964.
Report from: 19 March 2020
LINK
It was the original ‘ship that rocked.’ But 40 years ago today (Thursday) the Mi Amigo, home to original pop pirates Radio Caroline, finally disappeared beneath the waves in a violent force 10 storm.
In a daring rescue which lasted 12 hours in appalling weather, the crew of the Sheerness lifeboat saved the lives of everyone onboard – including the ship’s canary.
Leading the operation was colourful RNLI coxswain Charlie Bowry, who was later presented with the Institute’s coveted silver medal.
It was during the day that the radio station’s 60-year-old ship started dragging its anchor and drifted 10 nautical miles onto the Long Sand sandbank off Southend.
As the tide rose, the ship started to float free. But the bottom of the boat began being buffeted on the seabed with such a force the steel plates sprung a leak and water gushed into the engine room.
When the bilge pumps couldn’t cope, the three British DJs and a Dutch engineer called the Coastguard who dispatched Sheerness lifeboat the Helen Turnbull.
The ship had been broadcasting wall-to-wall pop since Irish businessman Ronan O’Rahilly hit upon the idea of breaking the BBC’s monopoly of music and launched Radio Caroline on Easter Sunday, 1964.
Report from: 19 March 2020
LINK