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Fishermen’s families face anxious wait after wreck is discovered 45 years after tragedy divers claim to have located hull of trawler lost in storm off orkney
By Jamie Buchan
Published: 24/08/2010
THE families of 13 fishermen who were lost in a north-east trawler tragedy 45 years ago are anxiously waiting to learn if a wreck discovered off the coast of Orkney is their loved ones’ final resting place.
The Blue Crusader sailed out of Aberdeen for a fortnight-long fishing trip in January 1965.
When contact was lost after a storm near Orkney, it was thought her radio equipment had been damaged.
After 13 days and no word from the vessel, a major search was launched which continued for four days. The trawler was never found.
Now a team of divers based in Orkney claim to have located the vessel. The same group discovered the wreck of the Peterhead-registered Trident in 2001.
They say the hull of what is believed to be the Blue Crusader was found sitting upright on the seabed, about 200ft below the surface.
Diver leader Barry White, 34, said: “I recognised the back, the stern, which is quite distinctive.
“We overlaid plans over low-resolution images and everything fits.”
The team now plans to dive to the wreck in the coming weeks. It is hoped they can find the boat’s registration number to confirm whether she is the Blue Crusader.
Her crew were skipper Fred Baker, 50, from Aberdeen; Colin Kay, 15, of Fetterangus who was on his first trip to sea; Hugh McKenzie, 49, and John Ronald, 40, both fathers of six from Aberdeen; Alexander Cruickshank, 23, Arthur Forman, 43, and Alfred Copeland, 19, all Aberdeen; David Stanger, 19, of Whitecairns; Alex Grubb, 23, of Portlethen; William Reid, 37, of Buckie; chief engineer William Anderson, 39; second engineer Arthur Duncan, 34, and mate Thomas Slater, all Aberdeen.
Last night, the family of teenager Colin Kay said they were waiting for confirmation from the diving team.
His 89-year-old mother, Georgina, of Richmondhill Place, Aberdeen, said she wept when she learned about the hull’s discovery this weekend.
She said Colin, who had trained to be a fisherman after leaving school at Mintlaw, was a last-minute replacement on the vessel.
“He got fed up at home and he said ‘I’m going to see if I can get a trip’.
“Then he phoned the schoolhouse in Fetterangus where I worked as a housekeeper and said he had a place on the Blue Crusader and he was sailing out the next morning.
“That was the last we heard of him.”
The discovery of the wreck has been registered with the UK Hydrographic Office, which provides nautical charts and maps.
By Jamie Buchan
Published: 24/08/2010
THE families of 13 fishermen who were lost in a north-east trawler tragedy 45 years ago are anxiously waiting to learn if a wreck discovered off the coast of Orkney is their loved ones’ final resting place.
The Blue Crusader sailed out of Aberdeen for a fortnight-long fishing trip in January 1965.
When contact was lost after a storm near Orkney, it was thought her radio equipment had been damaged.
After 13 days and no word from the vessel, a major search was launched which continued for four days. The trawler was never found.
Now a team of divers based in Orkney claim to have located the vessel. The same group discovered the wreck of the Peterhead-registered Trident in 2001.
They say the hull of what is believed to be the Blue Crusader was found sitting upright on the seabed, about 200ft below the surface.
Diver leader Barry White, 34, said: “I recognised the back, the stern, which is quite distinctive.
“We overlaid plans over low-resolution images and everything fits.”
The team now plans to dive to the wreck in the coming weeks. It is hoped they can find the boat’s registration number to confirm whether she is the Blue Crusader.
Her crew were skipper Fred Baker, 50, from Aberdeen; Colin Kay, 15, of Fetterangus who was on his first trip to sea; Hugh McKenzie, 49, and John Ronald, 40, both fathers of six from Aberdeen; Alexander Cruickshank, 23, Arthur Forman, 43, and Alfred Copeland, 19, all Aberdeen; David Stanger, 19, of Whitecairns; Alex Grubb, 23, of Portlethen; William Reid, 37, of Buckie; chief engineer William Anderson, 39; second engineer Arthur Duncan, 34, and mate Thomas Slater, all Aberdeen.
Last night, the family of teenager Colin Kay said they were waiting for confirmation from the diving team.
His 89-year-old mother, Georgina, of Richmondhill Place, Aberdeen, said she wept when she learned about the hull’s discovery this weekend.
She said Colin, who had trained to be a fisherman after leaving school at Mintlaw, was a last-minute replacement on the vessel.
“He got fed up at home and he said ‘I’m going to see if I can get a trip’.
“Then he phoned the schoolhouse in Fetterangus where I worked as a housekeeper and said he had a place on the Blue Crusader and he was sailing out the next morning.
“That was the last we heard of him.”
The discovery of the wreck has been registered with the UK Hydrographic Office, which provides nautical charts and maps.
