Sad news from Dartmouth

[longjohnsilver]

The well known charter fishing boat, the African Queen, destroyed by fire overnight, although thankfully it seems that everyone is safe.

http://www.theviewfromthedartmouthoffice.com/Home/Home.html

 

[Sheppy]

Yes, very sad indeed, a little bit of heritage gone. And very lucky they weren't on board.
Looking at the wind direction, I hope the fallout from smoke isn't too bad for everyone on the East side. You weren't down there at the time were you?

 

[Paragon]

A sad event to happen to a historic little ship, hopefully she can be restored to her former glory albeit the pictures don't look that encouraging.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Yes, very sad indeed, a little bit of heritage gone. And very lucky they weren't on board.
Looking at the wind direction, I hope the fallout from smoke isn't too bad for everyone on the East side. You weren't down there at the time were you?

No, heard the news early this morning. I will be down later, hopefully no other boats damaged. I didn't realise that she was a Dunkirk Little Ship, makes it somehow worse, if that's possible.

Now reported that she was built in 1946, so not a DLS.

 

[burgundyben]

When I read your post this morning I went to check the ADLS website and didn't see her listed, then I saw a conflicting news report.

Eitherway, its a shame.

 

[Ripster]

What a sad shame. I have seen her many times taking crews out all through the season. At least no-one was hurt.

 

[Sheppy]

When I read your post this morning I went to check the ADLS website and didn't see her listed, then I saw a conflicting news report.

Yes you may be right. I looked at their website and it suggests her completion date was 1946, while the Dunkirk episode was 1940. Their History page is a little confusing, I don't know what anyone else thinks? I had always been told/lead to believe she was a Dunkirk Little Ship.
Either way, a very old ship of wartime design but does this leave her heritage in question? Still very sad as she was a lovely old vessel, not to mention a working venture.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Yes you may be right. I looked at their website and it suggests her completion date was 1946, while the Dunkirk episode was 1940. Their History page is a little confusing, I don't know what anyone else thinks? I had always been told/lead to believe she was a Dunkirk Little Ship.
Either way, a very old ship of wartime design but does this leave her heritage in question? Still very sad as she was a lovely old vessel, not to mention a working venture.

Definitely 1946, that's on the African Queen website, interesting to see that several dozen like her were built in the post war years.

 

[burgundyben]

I thought this morning when I saw the fire pics that it looked like a Dickens class hull, AFAIK, all Dickens were post war, hence not DLS's.

There's several Dickens running around in the Solent, nice old tubs, not especially historically important.