Page 27 - Icebreakers around Cape Breton

ISSUE : Issue 45

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1987/6/1

starboard bow. And we went out on the Alex? ander and escorted her over to St. George's Bay in Newfoundland. She got the Foundation Company to come there and they poured a ce? ment box in the forepeak of the vessel. And we escorted her from there to Canso ar? ea. She then went on to Halifax, We went into Canso for a break. And they decided to send us back to Sydney to get fuel and water. I think it was a southeast gale. And we came alongside that night. The next day we got word that there was a vessel (the Kurdistan) out off of Sydney that had some ice damage. They wanted us to take a ship safety inspector out and board the vessel, to investigate what the damage was. We left about 5 o'clock in the evening and went out. We got them--blowing quite hard, quite heavy sea as well. And he was run? ning to the southeast, which meant that he was getting a much heavier sea, heavier swell, and stronger wind. So we suggested that he return towards the Cape Breton coast, and we would put this inspector on board in the morning. And he agreed to al? ter course. So we decided that night--when we got intp shelter--to just shut down--to just go . slow speed--and jog along with him. And at about 9:30, as we got settled away, it came with a mayday: the vessel had broken in half. The Kurdistan had broken in half. We were 10 miles from him at the time, so we went up to him. And he said he was aban? doning ship. Even though I told him to try to stick with the vessel until we got there, he said, "Well, I'm already leav? ing, I'm leaving the vessel." And when we got there it was a very heavy, very heavy sea running. The fore part of the ship had broken away, but it was in total darkness. And there was a lifeboat somewhere in the vicinity of the Kurdistan which we couldn't see. We finally spotted it with our search? lights. And we had great difficulty in get? ting the boat alongside, because they were terrified on board. We threw various lines to the boat to get her alongside, but they didn't seem to want to grab on. Finally, they did, and we got the boat alongside. And the swell was so heavy that we had to wait until the boat rose on the crest of a wave to take the people out. The first thing we saw when we got along? side- -there were, I think, 2 women and 3 small children on board, just dressed in their nightclothes, the little girls were. And this was quite a shock, February, I guess, late February, But we did get them all on board. Bodily--we took them out of' FRESH SEAFOOD F'LOBSTER WHARF 494 Esplanade, on Sydney Harbour 539-8005 EAT ON OUR OPEN PATIO WHARF, OR TAKE IT HOME * GIFTS SHIPPED ANYWHERE HADDOCK * HALIBUT * SALMON * SCALLOPS * LOBSTER BURGERS & CHOWDER * MACKEREL * SMELTS * CLAMS DON'S FLOWERS P..0. Box 179, Port Hawkesbury, N, S. BOE 2V0 Serving Port Hood, Judique, Inverness, and sur- rounding areas. Telephone 625-2215 or 625-2717. Welcome To Tour Home Ai??ay From Home! Our Bed and Breakfast program enables you to stay with Cape Breton families and experience the Island's famous hospitality first hand. Look for our welcoming signs all across the Island: in coastal fishing villages, in the scenic highlands, close to beaches, museums and shopping. We invite you to come and make new friends, explore special places, sleep soundly and enjoy home cooking. A list of Bed and Breakfast homes can be obtained at any Cape Breton Tourist Association Bureau. This project is supervised by the Cape Breton Development Corporation. More information can be obtained by writing: P. 0. Box 1750, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada BIP 6T7 Attention: Ray Peters. Cape Breton Bed and Breakfast WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME AWAY FROM HOME! ' A project of the Cape Breton Development Corporation iMjiJtyggg' CAMERAS LTD, One Stop Photo & Video Centre First in the Maritimes: Your Complete Service Headquarters • Guaranteed Quality Photo Finishing • Video Equipment - Sales & Service • Darkroom Equipment & Supplies • Cameras &* Accessories • Camera Repairs • Photo and Projection Lamps (Largest Stock of Photographic I Supplies on the Island I Kodak IVIIN??LTA PENTAX Canon Corner George & Dorchester Sts., Sydney (27)

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