We have now added the remarkable story of the sinking of the Norwegian brig ‘Lovren’ to the ‘Stories’ section of our website. It’s a fascinating story and one well worth a read!
A severe hurricane battered Britain on the nights of 21st and 22nd December 1894.
Around 7pm on Friday 21st December, the Norwegian Brig Loven, struck the rocky sound between Horse Island and the Breakwater of Ardrossan Harbour. As the ship settled, it initially rolled to starboard, then to port, and as it flooded with water it swiftly began to sink. Only three of the eight men onboard managed to scramble to safety in the rigging, where they clung on for life throughout the night and most of the following day battered by freezing gale force winds and high waves.
After evaluating the best way to reach the men, the lifeboat Charles Skirrow was launched from the Pilot House at the noon high tide rather than its normal site at North Beach, which was deemed to be too risky. The courageous crew, under Captain D. Murphy made a valiant attempt to reach the Norwegian Brig Loven, and managed to reach the north side of Horse Island before being forced back by the gale-force north-westerly winds to the south side of the Breakwater. By 3pm the wind had dropped, and the sea had calmed a little. Six brave volunteers manned a rowing boat lent to them by Mr MacGill at the Ardrossan Shipbuilding Yard and managed to successfully reach the survivors who despite all odds had clung to the rigging for 18 hours.
The crew were awarded medals for their daring rescue.
Read the full story HERE.