Shipwreck Survivors Project

[allanyed]

I received the following in an email and then "spoke" with Daniel about his project via email messages.  I explained how we have over 43,000 member so MAYBE someone will see this and be able to provide some information for his project so we was very happy to have this posted.   I realize we do not post email addresses so I've added the word dot in place of periods in his email address below

Allan

 

Shipwreck Survivors Project   We've received the following letter from a PhD student at the University of Plymouth embarking on a timely and important new project - can you help? Do you know someone who can? Dear Nautical Researchers, I’m Dan Jamieson and I’m just starting a PhD at Plymouth University gathering oral histories of shipwreck survivors. The aim is to interview a diverse group of about twenty, from a range of different seafaring backgrounds – naval, merchant, cruise ships and liners, lifeboat, search and rescue, fishing, yachting, right down to cross-Atlantic rowers and migrants making crossings in small boats. The intention is to begin a collection of first-hand accounts that will grow over time, that will reveal the experience of shipwreck from a broad range of vividly personal perspectives. The research will preserve survivors’ stories for the historical record and help raise awareness and understanding of their experiences. This seems important at a time when familiarity with life at sea is diminishing along with the number of people who work and travel there, also at a time when empathy for seafarers in distress is not uniformly engaged. Yet as a maritime nation, seafaring remains a huge part of our history and shipping is a growing industry that brings us ever more of our worldly needs. My task now is to find people with these experiences who are ready to tell their story. If you have been on a vessel sinking at sea or if you know someone who has who might be prepared to talk, I’d be extremely grateful to hear from you. The interviews will be one-to-one, face-to-face if possible, otherwise by Zoom, semi-structured, and 60 - 90 minutes long. When the time comes, I’ll approach prospective interviewees with a preliminary call or meeting to introduce myself and explain what I’m up to. I will also send an information sheet with a more detailed run-down of the project and ask them to sign a consent form.  The interviews will be sensitively and carefully conducted, subject to oral history best practice and according to a plan approved by Plymouth University’s ethics committee. If you want to know more about the project or me, please feel welcome to get in touch at daniel dot jamieson@plymouth dot ac dot uk.   Best wishes and hope to speak soon, Dan Jamieson

Edited September 4, 2023 by allanyed

[Javelin]

Chances are small that you'll find someone for following reasons: 

 

- Most sailors are from Asian countries, generally not represented here

 

- shipwrecks, apart for obscure ferries in distant countries, really aren't frequent nowadays 

 

- if shipwrecks do occur, they are generally due to structural failures causings ships to sink in a matter of minutes, taking the whole crew with them (lots of bulk carriers, Stellar Daisy style) 

 

You don't really see many ships sinking due to collisions nowadays. With large fires, ships do get abandonned, but most of the time in an organised way with external help, not really using the lifeboats. 

I did encounter 1 shipwreck survivor (capsized dredging vessel, multiple casualties) in my 15-year sailing carreer, but that's about it. 

 

That said, it never hurts to post it here and I do wish him good luck with the search and PhD.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Javelin

[Waitoa]

They may want to try sailing clubs.  My father who has sadly passed away managed to get himself shipwrecked and was part of a small group at his club who had all had misadventures in the Sth Pacific.

[mtaylor]

This seems to be a rather "time limited" project depending on how far back they wish to go.   There might be plenty of tales out there even back to the 1700's or so which would need some serious digging into archives and histories.   

 

Or are they just looking for "modern" tales?   

[allanyed]

I suggested to Daniel that he join MSW and post an introduction about himself and his project.  I will send a note that he is getting comments so should really join up, if only to clarify more of what he is looking for.   If this was 50 years ago I think that with the sinkings in the war years he would have had a lot of stories with which to work.

Allan

[Roger Pellett]

Not exactly what you are asking for but this might be helpful:

 

In November 1966 the 600ft long ore carrier Daniel J. Morrell broke in half and sank during a gale on Lake Huron.  Of the crew of approximately 30, there was one survivor; Dennis Hale. He has written two books about his experience; Sole Survivor and Shipwrecked: Reflections on Sole Survivor. Both are currently available on Amazon.

 

Roger

 

 

[Jack12477]

You might want to direct him to this thread US Coast Guard amazing stories here on MSW.