List of shipwrecks in 1979
The list of shipwrecks in 1979 includes all ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1979.
January
8 January
- Betelgeuse (
France): Whiddy Island Disaster: The tanker exploded and sank at Bantry, Ireland with the loss of 50 lives.
13 January
- Mineral Hoboken (
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Belgium): Collided with Mipo (
Panama) at New Orleans, United States and was damaged.[1]
February
14 February
- François Vieljeux ( France) : The container ship foundered in rough seas 45 nautical miles (83 km) south west of Cape Finisterre with the loss of 23 lives.[2]
- Revi ( Panama) : She foundered 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) off the Humber Lightship (53°39′N 0°23′E / 53.650°N 0.383°E).[3]
March
15 March
- Kurdistan (
Liberia): The tanker struck ice in the Cabot Strait which fractured her hull. She subsequently broke in two during a gale. Her crew were rescued by CCGS Sir William Alexander (
Canadian Coast Guard). The bow section was sunk on 1 April by HMCS Margaree (
Royal Canadian Navy); the stern section was towed to a European port where a new bow was constructed. She was returned to service.[4]
30 March
- Angelina Lauro (
Italy): Caught fire at Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands and sank. Refloated 2 July.
April
28 April
- Gino ( Liberia): The tanker collided with Team Castor (
Norway) and sank in the English Channel. All crew rescued by a Soviet merchant ship.[5]
June
21 June
- Petro Bouscat (
Senegal): Stranded in the Sanaga River (3°29′N 9°44′E / 3.483°N 9.733°E) and abandoned as a constructive total loss.[1]
July
19 July
- Atlantic Empress (
Greece): Collided with Aegean Captain ( Greece) off Trinidad and Tobago, causing a large oil spill.
August
3 August
- Atlantic Empress ( Greece): Sank in deep water following damage sustained in collision on 19 July.
11–15 August
- The Fastnet race (
United Kingdom): A total of 25 yachts were sunk in Force 11 winds with the loss of 15 lives.
27 August
- Shadow V ( United Kingdom) The Troubles: the fishing boat was blown to pieces off Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, by a bomb plated by the Provisional IRA. Lord Mountbatten of Burma and three other people died in the blast.
September
24 September
- Angelina Lauro ( Italy): Sank in the Pacific Ocean while under tow to shipbreakers in Taiwan
November
4 November
- Aeolian Sky ( Greece): Sank off St Aldhelm's Head after collision with Anna Knueppell (
West Germany) the previous day.
6 November
- Pool Fisher (
United Kingdom): Sank off the Isle of Wight. Thirteen of the fifteen on board were killed.[6]
11 November
- Belvaux ( Belgium): Collided with Vishva Vibhuti (
India) in the Scheldt and beached to prevent her sinking. Later refloated, repaired and returned to service.[7]
15 November
Unknown date
- Berge Vanga ( Liberia): Sank in the South Atlantic with the loss of all 40 crew.
- Jayawang (
Singapore): Sank off Bangkok, Thailand.
December
14 December
- Captain Said ( Panama): Ran aground off Şile, Turkey. Refloated in August 1980, repaired and returned to service.[7]
16 December
- Heye P ( West Germany): Driven ashore in a gale at Prawle Point, Devon, United Kingdom and wrecked.[8]
20 December
26 December
- Lindblad Explorer ( Panama): Ran aground off Vicky Island, Antarctic. Later refloated and returned to service.
Unknown date
- Epimonos ( Greece): The tanker caught fire off Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France. She was declared a constructive total loss.[9]
26 December
- Lee Wang Zin ( Panama): Assumed ran up on Celestial Reef, Dixon Entrance-Hecte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. 30 lives lost.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Belgian Merchant H-O". Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ↑ Crawford, Moya (1999). Deep Water. Bradford on Avon: Thomas Reed. pp. p238–241. ISBN 0-901281-83-2.
- ↑ "Belgian Merchant P-Z". Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ↑ "Kurdistan - 1979". Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ "Crippled tanker clean, says her master" The Times (London). Monday, 30 April 1979. (60471A), col D,E, p. 3.
- ↑ "COASTER "POOL FISHER" (LOSS)". Hansard. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Belgian Merchant A-G". Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ↑ "Gales Havoc on land and at sea" The Times (London). Tuesday, 18 December 1979. (60503), col D,E, p. 2.
- ↑ "Loss of Greek registered oil tanker Kirki en route to Kwinana". Australian Transportation Safety Board. 2 April 1992. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ↑ Whitney, John. "Southeastern Alaska Oceanograpic conditions and NOAA's Twenty-One Year Spill Response History". National Ocean Services, Anchorage, Alaska.
See also
| Ship events in 1979 | |||||||||||
| Ship launches: | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Ship commissionings: | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Ship decommissionings: | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Shipwrecks: | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.