Near collision

This is a story from the Scarborough seadogs. A series of articles from Forrest Franks in the Scarborough Post in 1920.

Few landsmen know what manifold perils seamen are suddenly called upon to face, or realise what England owes to the officers and men of the marine merchantile. It is the secret of the sea - "Only those who brave its dangers comprehend its mystery"

During my last voyage in the Eden Holme, I had to reluctantly to acknowledge to myself that my nerves were suffering from long service and continued strain, and that each gale took something out of me than the former one. I had also a feeling that something unusual would be happening. Compelling me to give up the sea. That last voyage was disastrous. In the early part the Bay of Biscay was in one of its angry moods, and although it was August, we had a succession of fierce south westerly gales, sustaining damage to sails and gear. Nearing the equator we had a narrow escape from collision with an Italian barque, which was on the opposite tack. As per rule of road, she should have given way to the Eden Holme, but came on too late to bear up. It was a bright moon light night, but the foreigners must have been asleep, for they only roused up to their danger at the last moment. When they broke out into wild shouting, with much rushing about. To void a smash we tacked, but at the last minute the Italian did the same, and we barely escaped hitting stern to stern, both vessels having got stern way. Shortly after this, on a dark and squally night, the cry of 'man over-board ran through the ship. I was on the poop and, rushing for a lifebuoy threw it as near where I judged the man would be as I could. The ship was stopped and a lifeboat was launched with all speed. It was one of the apprentices it appeared who had gone over and when he was picked up he reported he had seen the lifebuoy fall into the sea and had swam towards it getting his head and shoulders well through it. From this point of vantage he had cheerfully set to whistle with his fingers and guide the boat to his rescue. He was little the worse for his immersion, but regretted having to part with his trousers to assist his buoyancy. "Shake hands, sir," he said to me as I met him at the gangway, ""I knew you would do everything possible to save me." He, of course, was quite a hero with the other lads for a long time and did not forget to strut as he deemed the circumstances of the adventure demanded.

OTHER ARTICLES
• Scarborough sailing ship - a man overboard
• Man overboard gets drunk
• Naval battle off Flamborough Head - Captain Paul Jones
• The Captain and his wife
• Whitby history - The journal of Captain Cook - extracts from Tahiti
• A scarborough man emigrates to Australia
• Flamborough Head - Paul Jones battle
• John Wyrill nearly shipwrecked
• Casket of Captain Piercy
• Coatham - a forgotten Yorkshire haven near Redcar
• Wyrill Crawford - Scarborough fisherman
• A shipwreck near Whitby - epic account printed by Hinderwell
• The Research - sunk with Filey men on board in 1925
• Close association with port
• Sad news at sea
• A cook sacked
• No favours for the owners son
• Scarborough trawlers sunk and wrecked in the modern era
• Captain dies at Aden

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