RAVENEL trawler

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

RAVENEL trawler

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue May 21, 2019 8:39 pm

For the 50th Anniversary of the loss of the side-trawler La RAVENEL on 28 January 1962 St Pierre et Miquelon issued one stamp in 2012 to remember that tragedy.

Built in 1961 at the Chantiers SICCNA yard in Saint Malo, France for La Société et de Congélation de Saint Pierre (SPEC).
Launched as the Le RAVENEL with fishing No SPM 205.
Not much details I have on her, only one web-site gives that she was 250 ton.

She arrived in St Pierre in November 1961 under command of Captain Rene Lehors.
After a few months fishing in the waters off St Pierre et Miquelon and on the Grand Banks on 27 January 1962 the skipper made the usual call via radio to the owners in St Pierre, in which he reported that he was homeward bound. When the next day the owners did not hear anything from the vessel they were not so worried, special during the winter months due to freezing spray the antenna broke which prevented radio transmission.
When the next day, not anything was heard of the RAVENEL, and other vessels that berthed in St Pierre were heavily coated with a layer of ice, and the crews working very hard to get the ice from the vessels to prevent that she got top-heavy and capsizes. The RAVENEL was now for a long time overdue and an alert was given to other vessels to look out for the RAVENEL. Search and rescue planes from the RCAF and USAF naval base at Argentia flew over a large area to look for the vessel, without success.
Some days later a door and lifebuoy with the name RAVENEL were found on the Laurie’s Beach on the Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland.
The vessel bell was found in 1964 on Green Island.
Till today, not any hint has been found were the RAVENEL was lost with his crew of 15 men who left widows and 53 children fatherless in St Pierre.
It is believed that she did not catch much fish that trip and was low on bunkers, and most probably that has affected her centre of gravity, and when ice cumulated on the rigging, superstructure and decks she got top-heavy and capsized very quickly before any SOS could be given.

St Pierre et Miquelon 2012 0.60 Euro sg?, scott?. 2000 2.fr sg?, scott 697b

Source: Shipwreck at St Pierre by J.P. Andrieux.
Attachments
ravenel.jpg
2000 ravenel.jpg
2012 ravenel jpg.jpg

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