Pasages
February 6, 2008
It was over 60 years ago that the crew of the Fleetwood trawler Pasages was rescued – thanks to the bravery of the ship’s cook!
During a storm in December 1931 the Canadian built vessel was wrecked at Jurby Head, Isle of Man.
At the time it was revealed that the trawler was “swept from stem to stern by the heavy seas such as to strike terror into the hearts of the Stauchest.”
The Ramsey and Peel Rocket Brigades were called to the rescue and Ramsey and Peel lifeboats were launched in “mountainous seas.”
Lying 100 yards from shore the 125ft trawler had a crew of 13 men under Skipper J James of Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
She had been homeward bound with a £600 catch of herring from the
Buffeted by waves in south west gales, the Pasages’ visibility was reduced by blinding sleet and rain.
Afterwards the skipper said he had never experienced such a combination of storm and rain and absolute blackness. He proceeded cautiously and knew they were in the vicinity of the Isle of Man.
Realising the ship had grounded he gave the immediate order for the engines to reverse. But the Pasages would not budge.
She was in a perilous condition, hammered by heavy seas. The crew fired distress rockets and they huddled in the wheelhouse as they awaited the rocket brigades.
On shore the 18-man rescue squad arrived after a one and a half mile hazardous journey over waterlogged fields. Reaching the cliff top they descended to the shore.
But the man of the hour was 30-year old cook Norman Platt of
He volunteered to swim ashore – and after a desperate struggle got a line across to the rescuers. Soon a breeches bouy was rigged up and the men hauled to safety.
The lifeboats stood by in the teeth of the gale and the weather proved too bad for the Peel Lifeboat to return to her home port she sailed on to Ramsey and put into harbour. The Ramsey boat went on the south beach and was pulled up to the Lifeboat House after one of the most strenuous services in the station’s history.
Fleetwood men aboard the Pasages (Boston Deep Sea Fishing and Ice Company) included mate R McCauliffe,
The Pasages was never salvaged.
We are indebted to Mr Harold Colley for information for this Trawler Tale.
The hero of the Pasages incident was my father Norman platt. I was born in August 1932. I have often wondered if I was concieved before or after that wild night. My wife who was Dorothy Dalton emigrated to New Zealand in 1960 and have been happy here ever since. We now have two Kiwi children two kiwi grandchildren and one Austrailian Grandson because our daughter now lives in Canberra. It is a very interesting website. We now live in Auckland N.Z .
the hero of the wreck of the Pasages was my father Norman Platt. My name is Derek platt and I was born 9 months after the incedent. I married Dorothy Dalton and we moved to New Zealand in March 1960. We have been happy here ever since and have a son and daughter. bothborn in N. Z. and 3 grandchildren. Two born in N. Z and one in Australia . We both have family still living in Fleetwood but we have only been back to Fleetwood once. It is still good to keep in touch with things through the Fleetwood News and your website.