Just before I became a fisherman, at Easter 1907, my father, a fisherman, owner of a 40ft sailing cutter, “Quicksilver”, used to speak of a ship loaded with almost every conceivable thing including pianos, that was wrecked on the Long Sand, at the outer end of the Thames Estuary.
She was the “Hawksdale”, bound for Australia from London. She was completely abandoned, so there was no harm in anyone salvaging some of her cargo, providing it was delivered to the Customs, usually through the coastguards.
Goods would be sold and the salvager compensated, but of course every little object was not given in. The pianos were taken out by seamen at Margate in their large open boats, and Whitstable fisherman salvaged many of the light objects.
Then came the story of Mr. John Warner, a gifted seaman, who was given charge of the “Stormy Petrel,” built by the Perkins brothers.
John sailed to the Hawksdale and decided to load with coils of telegraph wire. He was eager to earn and save money, to have a boat of his own, so he loaded till the vessel’s deck was level with the water and started for home, but a breeze sprang up and waves came aboard.
Soon so much water lay on her deck she looked as if she might founder, so the crew of three got into the 12ft rowing boat and pulled away, expecting to see her sink, but her hatches held tight and although her deck was below sea level she did not sink.
The crew returned on board, and the weather moderated, and John sailed her home, a vessel uninsured.
R. D. Dale
80 Nelson Road
Whitstable
