Margaret Jane

Last updated
History
Flag of Canada.svg Canada
Name"Margaret Jane"
Owner Adams & Knickle
Port of registry Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
BuilderSnyders Shipyard
Launched1965
Identification IMO number:  6621222
FateCollision with Cape Beaver on July 31, 1980
General characteristics
Tonnage108 tons [1]
Length105 ft (32 m) [2]
Sail plan Stern trawler

The FV Margaret Jane was a Canadian stern trawler based out of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Built in 1965 at Snyder's Shipyard in Dayspring, she was owned by fishing company Adams & Knickle. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Collision and sinking

On July 31, 1980, Margaret Jane was returning an injured crew member to Lunenburg after three days of scallop fishing with an 18-member crew. [4] [7] [8] Cape Beaver, a steel-plated 160-foot wetfish trawler owned by National Sea Products, was undergoing her first shakedown cruise in Nova Scotia waters and had dignitaries on board. [2] [4] [9] [10]

At approximately 12:00 p.m. (ADT), Margaret Jane was hit on the port side by Cape Beaver in dense fog. [10] [11] The incident occurred about six kilometers from Lunenburg, near West Ironbound Island. [4] [11] The large ice-cutting ball on the bow of Cape Beaver sliced through the side of the Margaret Jane. [2] After the collision, some crewmembers jumped overboard into the Atlantic Ocean and others scrambled into the boat's life raft. [10] Within two minutes, the Margaret Jane was submerged by water and sank. [2] [11] Four crewmembers of the Margaret Jane died in the incident. [11] Some crew members from Cape Beaver jumped into a life boat and helped rescue survivors. [2] The Cape Beaver boat and crew was not injured and returned to the National Sea Products wharf with rescued crew members from the Margaret Jane. [4] Four injured men were taken to hospital in the incident and the other 10 members of the crew were unharmed after being rescued. [4]

A television film crew from CBC was aboard Cape Beaver and captured footage of the collision and aftermath. [12] The video footage was aired on national television across the United States. [13] [14] [15]

Casualties

Three of the four crew members who died were originally from Newfoundland. [4] The fourth was Kelly Crouse, a 16-year-old from Brockville, Ontario who went on the fishing trip while on vacation with his parents. [11]

NameAgeHometownNotes
Kelly Crouse16Brockville, Ontario [11]
Aloysius J. Hinks34Chester [11]
Manuel Joseph Jesso41Stephenville, Newfoundland [11]
Leonard Snook55English Harbour, Newfoundland [11]

Inquiry

On September 4, 1980, Transport Minister Jean-Luc Pépin ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. [16] The inquiry was held before Justice A. Gordon Cooper of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court Appeals Division. [17] Captain Morris Nowe, skipper of the Cape Beaver, testified that there was no liquor aboard the ship when it collided with the Margaret Jane. [17]

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References

  1. ↑ Marine Heritage Database: Margaret Jane – 1980 Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Search continues for crewmen, inquiry into ship collision begins". Chronicle Herald. Halifax, Nova Scotia. August 1, 1980. p. One & Two.
  3. ↑ Snyders Shipyard - Margaret Jane snydersshipyard.com
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mason, Linda (July 31, 1980). "Four missing". Chronicle Herald. Halifax, Nova Scotia. p. One.
  5. ↑ Maritime Connector: Margaret Jane
  6. ↑ Margaret Jane (+1980) Wrecksite.eu
  7. ↑ "2 boats collide, 1 sinks". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. August 1, 1980. p. 22.
  8. ↑ "Four missing in sea mishap". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. August 1, 1980. p. Four.
  9. ↑ "4 missing after sea collision". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. August 1, 1980. p. One.
  10. 1 2 3 "Debris spotted but 4 still missing after sea collision". Montreal Gazette . Montreal, Quebec. August 2, 1980. p. One.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Searchers comb sea for four missing after boats collide". Montreal Gazette . August 1, 1980. p. 43.
  12. ↑ AT SEA: FISHING TRAWLER SINKS IN MINUTES DRAGGING DOWN CREW, AFTER COLLIDING WITH OTHER TRAWLER ITN Source
  13. ↑ NBC Evening News for Thursday, Jul 31, 1980 Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  14. ↑ NBC Evening News for Friday, Aug 01, 1980 Vanderbilt Television News Archive
  15. ↑ "Collision". Lakeland Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. August 2, 1980. p. 6A.
  16. ↑ "Pepin orders inquiry". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. September 4, 1980. p. 22.
  17. 1 2 "No liquor aboard in crash: Captain". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. February 2, 1981. p. 11.

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