Île Vierge marks the south-western limit of the English Channel and is a small islet off the approach to l’Aber[…]
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Category: Hazards & Challenges
This category includes tales of shipwreck, rescues and disasters caused by storms, misfortune and war as well as the development of lighthouses, lifeboats and safety equipment such as lifejackets.
Ferocious storms and fearless lifeboat crews: 1880
The Coxswain and crew of the RNLI lifeboat ‘Lady Leigh’, ably assisted by the ‘rocket apparatus’ of the Coastguards, spent[…]
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1859 storms hit Wales and the West
In October 1859 there occurred a storm that wreaked such havoc around the coasts of Britain that is probably unique[…]
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Storm off Winterton Ness, 1692
Daniel Defoe describes a terrible disaster when 200 sailing colliers were lost off the east coast of England in 1692.[…]
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Shipwreck off St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, 1707
Four naval ships and over 1300 men were lost on the dangerous rocks and reefs around the Isles of Scilly[…]
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Newlyn to Australia in a Cornish lugger
In 1854 a group of Cornish fishermen left for Australia, to seek their fortune, sailing their 37′ open Mounts Bay[…]
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Swept from Helford to the Isle of Wight: 1703
The renowned ‘Great storm’ of November 1703 hit the west coast of England, resulting in ships being driven ashore or,[…]
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Shipwreck, explosion and loss of life: Calf of Man, 1852
This extract is from the Illustrated London News, 8 January 1853 and reports on a horrific shipwreck and explosion with[…]
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Grace Darling: wreck of the ‘Forfarshire’ (1838)
A dramatic, well-documented rescue takes place on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast, 7 September, 1838. The rescue of[…]
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19 footers only head for Scotland
With the bad weather forecasts, most skippers have decided to head for Strangford Lough. Strong winds are forecast so ‘Step[…]
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