Ships Nostalgia banner

Crowhurst do***entry/Portishead Radio

12K views 48 replies 18 participants last post by  mervyn.boone 
#1 ·
Just come across an interesting do***entry posted to YouTube entitled 'The two voyages of Donald Crowhurst'. As well as telling the story of Crowhurst, it has a couple of bits of film of Portishead Radio and some words from R/Os Charles Mander & John Lamb.
A fair amount of radio related material is also in the film.

Apparently, the Colin Firth/Rachel Weisz film titled 'The Mercy' about Crowhurst is due to be released around October time.

I did also note a familiar name in the credits!

Cheers
Jonathan
 
#27 · (Edited)
I offer a further observation which some might find callous and others might find irrelevant:

The entire Crowhurst story occurred less than twenty years after the Flying Enterprise incident. A very short period of time in which the sea changed from being a place of strict migratory, mercantile or military use to a place which is, in effect, nothing more than a stage upon which heavily financed yachtsmen can perform for personal glory. A quantum leap indeed.

What does it say about any change in global moral values?

Has there been any change? Or has there not?

Generally, I adhere to the view that moral values do not change in any event - but resurrection of this story reminds me that I might very well be wrong.

As a nine year old boy in Birkenhead in 1952, the Flying Enterprise saga confirmed my belief that a career at sea was an obligatory thing for any boy who wasn't a complete girl's blouse.

By the time of the Crowhust incident in 1969, that belief had changed quite significantly.

In following the glory granted to Carlsen of the Flying Enterprise, was I as weak as Crowhurst of the Teignmouth Electron, eighteen years later? Possibly so.

But it seemed right at the time (i.e. the defence used by Blair, today). On the other hand, Carlsen remains adulated today - and still quite rightly in my absolute view.

Whaddaya know?

To go to sea? Or not? In what capacity?
 
#28 ·
#28

Of course that is right. With the benefit of hindsight, nobody would dispute it.

The qustion which I raise is that Crowhurst used the sea for money and gave his life in doing so.

Most of the rest of us (including Carlsen) used the sea for money, but didn't give our lives to that avaricious end. Is it open to any of us to criticise Crowhurst in any way? He took no other life with him.
 
#31 ·
Crowhurst was inspired by Sir Francis Chichester, and tried to "charter" Gypsy Moth IV to sail himself. Sir Francis has expressed unfavourable views on the suitability of Gypsy Moth IV, saying she was difficult to sail single handed. He also expressed great reservations about Crowhurst's experience and plans for entering the non stop Round the World race.

A little known (at that time,) professional ,entered one of the smallest craft to take part, the 32ft Suhaili. Robin Knox Johnston ultimately won the race, and donated his prize money to Mrs Crowhurst.

Most of the other entrants were experienced long distance sailors, or had served in the RN with sea going time under their belts. Crowhurst, the amateur, did manage to sail his unsuitable trimaran to South America, and if he hadn't embarked on his deception and returned home safely, without completing the course, he may have got a "sympathy vote," and ultimately the publicity he craved to try and save his family business, and ultimately his family home.

Sometimes, discretion truly is the better part of valour.
 
#32 ·
Chay Blyth wasn't an experienced long distance sailor, he had barely sailed at all before. He couldn't navigate either. He said that when he first got his boat, his mates left him to go and prepare it for his voyage, and all he could think to do was clean the cooker. He had the sense to realise his boat wasn't up to it, but he nearly did go on.
 
#34 ·
Quite right FJ, I had forgotten that both Ridgway and Blyth had entered the race individually. Rowing the Atlantic with a following wind and weather is one adventure, around the World alone is a completely different challenge indeed.

(On a lighter note, with reference to your remarks about Chay Blyth's skills as a sailor, when the passenger trip boats on the River Dart passed Philip's ship yard at Noss, the commentary always pointed out that the yacht British Steel was built there for Chay Blyth, and it was the only boat he didn't sink or run aground!)
 
#33 ·
The moral is, I suppose, that when you can see that something is right, then you should do it and do it right away.

He who hesitates is lost.

The mystery is, as Roy points out, why Crowhurst did not bow out gracefully, when he could easily have done so?; and the tragedy is that he drove himself to enter into such a gross deception.

Hate the sin but love the sinner.

That is exactly what has happened in this case.
 
#35 ·
Blyth did extremely well to cir***navigate single-handed and westabout at such speed, with such limited experience!

I recall that in the account of his Atlantic crossing with Ridgway, with oars, it was reported that he addressed Ridgway as "Sir" throughout. With hindsight, that small point is astonishing. I rather think that it led to the abolition of the BEM shortly afterwards, to be replaced by MBE for all. The BEM has of course been reinstated, but that is another matter.
 
#36 ·
Blyth eventually learned from his seagoing challenges, and gained a decent level of competence. (Even if one of the Transatlantic Challengers sunk as well!) I don't think that Ridgway ever went in a small boat again after abandoning his attempt at the Round the World race, preferring to develop his outdoor adventure business in Scotland. One fellow who very quickly appreciated the challenge of going to sea alone was Tom McClean. I saw him and his boat (A Yorkshire Dory, just like Ridgway and Blyth's craft,) at the London Boat Show, and got his autographed photo. He seemed quite shy at that time, and hardly said a word! For an ex Borstal boy,and ex Parachute Regiment, with no experience of the sea, he was one who did make good.

Roy.
 
#38 ·
I recall that TV programme - I spent the whole day with the BBC crew and arranged the interview with Charles Mander (who had long since retired). We tried to re-create a 1960s console with old tables and defunct equipment I found lying around in the engineering stores at GKA which is where you see the interview with John Lamb. There have been other do***entaries about Crowhurst in which the film makers have visited GKA, and of course the film "Deep Water". Looking forward to seeing the new film when it hits our screens. There were of course many other R/Os at GKA who were involved at the time but sadly the majority are no longer with us.

Larry +
 
#49 ·
Hi Mervyn, I am a 22 year old from the north of England. Though I've never been to sea, I have become very interested in Crowhurst and the Electron recently. Your comment about your interview piqued my interest too. If you don't mind, why wasn't your interview "good" and why did you get into trouble upon arrival back home? I'd love to hear more. Best, Archie Hutchison
Hi Archie, When the Picardy arrived in Nassau, most crew went ashore. I had work to do up on the Monkey Island doing Cables and Batteries etc. A girl reporter came all the way up to the top deck of the ship. She introduced herself. She asked me a few questions, which I replied to. The next day, on the front page of the local newspaper (I think it was the Nassau Tribune) it had an article which said "the ship RMS Picardy which found the Yacht Teignmouth Electron of Donald Crowhurst. The only officer on board was the Radio Officer who was in his Swimming Trunks" I can't remember the exact wording of the article. The Captain (Box) called me down to his Cabin. He told me I had broken the secrecy act and he was going to sue me for defamation of character. I was a little perturbed to say the least. the girl reporter should not have been able to get on board the ship. There is supposed to be a watchman at the Gangway. That was the first thing. Telling her about the Yacht was okay. I didn't break the secrecy act, but Captain Box was raging, as it made the ship look in a bad light saying I was the only officer on board. That probably was why he took a hissy fit. he had a copy of the newspaper. I have tried for years to try and get that article, but to no avail. When we headed back to Liverpool. The captain called me into his Cabin. He said, I have decided not to press charges against you, but I want you off the ship. When we got into Liverpool, I went to the Marconi office and explained what had happened. They said not to worry. I went home for a couple of Weeks and then back out on another Ship. Hope that clears things up. Best wishes, Mervyn
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top