Maritime record MWX1863 - Madeleine Tristan

French schooner, 1930

Built: 1922. Builder: Ch. Navals de Louest. Owner: Tristan Freres. Master: Vallon. Crew: 7. Date of Loss Qualifier: A. Ex-H-16N. Vessel was seen in West Bay in heavy seas. She came along parallel with beach for a short distance close inshore until she reached the cove. Here the captain gibed, realised she was not going to make it, chose a `regular grandfather of a sea' and rode her right up the beach, directly beneath the senior school, which by pure chance gave him the best place to be saved. The first rocket line fired was taken straight up in the air by the wind and fell back through the roof of the school. Hand lines were then thrown on board and, by means of a rope from the top mast, all were saved. She came in with her sails still set. She had been carried off course by the gale and with only 50 tons of cargo as ballast was very light. When the captain drove ashore he still thought he was on the north coast of France. The wreck, which was sold for £1, lay across the Portland sewer outfall, which was smashed. Only her three masts were saved. (1)(2) A French vessel, lost at Chesil Cove, Portland.(3) Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: DS (photo) p57 Southern Times 12.09.1931 p12 Weymouth Library L910.4.MA.1-MA.22inc; L942.33.BU3 (photo 76) LR 1928-9 No.52413 (M) gross tonnage

Record last edited

Oct 7 2010 11:38AM