Mersea Island Museum - Blackwater Ships


Ship:      ROWANMORE
Arrived:17 June 1962
Departed:26 November 1963
Career:The ROWANMORE arrived in the River Blackwater June 1962 from Cuba, having been trading between Russia and Cuba. Brian Chaplin from Layer was one of the crew who paid off in Maldon.
Brian says "She carried raw sugar from Cuba to Russia and a multitude of cargoes from Russia to Cuba. One trip, from Russia the last cargo to be loaded were railway sleepers as deck cargo almost loaded to the bridge which made for a very "hairy" Atlantic crossing. On our last trip from Russia we carried army trucks painted drab olive as deck cargo, they were listed on the manifest as agricultural equipement (true) but nothing to my knowledge anything more sinister than that.
At this time, the Cuban Missile crisis was brewing...

23 January 1963 9.30am the temperature was still 42 degrees. At lunch time a rescue service helicopter landed unexpectedly in the school field. The sea is completely frozen and it is impossible to use even Clacton lifeboat to relieve the watchmen on the ships in the river. The M.V. ROWANMORE had flown distress signals & supplies of gas & oil etc were flown out, whilst the school playing field was used as an emergency landing ground. From the School Log Book WMS_LOG5_P167 . See also newspaper cutting RUD_BK5_321 .

She was built as ROWANMORE. Renamed MADULSIMA-1958, ROWANMORE-1960, ANDRIANA I-1973, MARJORIE Y-1977.
Broken up Gandia 3 Dec 1979
Oyster Company ledger 30 June 1962 compensation 2 weeks.
27 February 1963 compensation 2 weeks 4 days.

Mid Essex WSS - Lloyds List: arrived 17 Jun 1962 sailed 26 Nov 1963 in tow tugs SUN XVII and SUN XIX.

Tonnage:8,495 gross
Built:1956
Type:Cargo ship
Owner:Furness Withy
LR/IMO Number:5301186
Official No:187139
ID5301186

Dramatic Answer to Mersea ship's signal. Children see helicopter's mercy dash. [ 23 January 1963 ]

A dramatic answer to a distress signal flying from one of the laid-up ships in the frozen Blackwater on Wednesday was made by an RAF helicopter from Manston, Kent.

The nine flag international code message from the yardarm of s.s. ROWANMORE asked for help, full details of which were not given.



The ship's agents Clarke and Carter Ltd., of West Mersea, were contacted and they ... Date: c25 January 1963.

Above:  Dramatic Answer to Mersea ship's signal. Children see helicopter's mercy dash. [ 23 January 1963 ] A dramatic answer to a distress signal flying from one of the laid-up ships in the frozen Blackwater on Wednesday was made by an RAF helicopter from Manston, Kent. The nine flag international code message from the yardarm of s.s. ROWANMORE asked for help, full details of which were not given. The ship's agents Clarke and Carter Ltd., of West Mersea, were contacted and they ... Date: c25 January 1963.
Source: Mersea Museum / Peter Rudlin Collection


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