18 crew saved as Spanish boat sinks 200 miles west of the Co Clare coast.

[samuel j]

source RTE


Wednesday, 23 January 2008 19:44
All 18 crewmembers from a Spanish fishing vessel were rescued from liferafts this afternoon shortly before their boat sank
The UK-registered vessel the Royalist sent out a distress call just before 4pm today saying that it was sinking and its crew were taking to their life rafts.

The French trawler Damafram went to their assistance and picked them up within a hour.

The Spanish trawler sank a short time later.

The crew members are reported to be safe and well and are being taken to Dingle where they are due to arrive at 6pm tomorrow.

Valencia Coast Guard service says it has not yet been established why the Royalist began taking water and sank in such a short time.

The Royalist was built in 1960 and is 116m long.

[Gavin Gait]

Originally a side trawler this boat spend a good few years as an Oil Rig standby vessel before being bought back to Fleetwood and reconverted into a trawler to fish out of the port. She was sold to Spanish interests after a few years I think.

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=91396
Thats Neils photo of her in 1985 not long after she had restarted fishing out of Fleetwood.

Thankfully the crew have all been saved. With the bad storms forecast for the next few days they were "lucky" this happened today and not in F9+ conditions.

[samuel j]

For sure, seas still nasty out there but wind piping up early morn on.
she about 116 feet..?

[Gavin Gait]

Royalist FD24
Built in 1960 at Beverly Hull by Cook , Welton & Gemmel
35.66m(117ft) x 7.18m(24ft) x 3.2m(11ft)
290GT 26NT ( that had to be wrong !!!)
Gill Netter
Powered by her original Mirlees Blackstone 361kw/484hp
"Owned" by Flagperry Ltd Milford Haven

[nhp651]

a sad end to what was probably the last "large" sidewinder trawler to fish out of Fleetwood.
Just very glad that all crew got off safely.
neil.