Page 55 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 8

into Loch Ryan, turned bow first towards the sea and sailed for
Ireland.

At 8.06 a.m. radio operator David Broadfoot, sent ‘I am now
leaving Stranraer bound Larne’ indicating that the ship had
departed and was heading for Larne.

In the Irish Sea a force 9 gale was blowing eastwards and by
9 a.m. when the MV Princess Victoria emerged from Lough Ryan
and entered the Irish Sea, she was exposed to the full force of
the gale with waves over 25 feet, wind gusts up to 60 miles per
hour, and visibility down to not more than 2 miles.

After seeing the full force of the gale, Captain Ferguson
turned his ship in a northerly direction in an attempt to use the
coast of Scotland as shelter before attempting to sail to Larne
but after 20 miles of being battered and pounded by this
exceptional weather, opted to return to Stranraer as there was
no point in trying to continue the crossing.

As the MV Princess Victoria turned round to sail back bow
first into Loch Ryan, the stern doors were exposed to the full
force of the gale during which an exceptionally heavy wave
crashed into the ship, buckled the stern doors and flooded the
car deck. With the stern doors now breached, sea water began
to flood onto the car deck as wave after wave washed through
the opening created, with the scuppers being unable to deal with
the large volume of water on it which washed in and out of the
deck as the ship rose and fell with the waves and soon the car
deck was covered to a depth of up to one foot of water.

Chief Officer Duckels was sent by Captain Ferguson to see
the extent of the damage and with Second Officer Leonard and
some crewmembers attempted to close the stern doors. Able
Seaman Alec Craig, with a safety rope tied around his waist,

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