The Luckiest Thirteen: The forgotten story of the men of St Finbarr - a trawler crew's battle in the Arctic

摘要

Brian W. Lavery has followed up The Headscarf Revolutionaries, his account of the 'Hull Triple- Trawler Tragedy' of 1968, with this story of an earlier Hull trawler tragedy. This time the vessel involved was one of the most modern in the fleet, a stern trawler that had revolutionized British fishing by allowing the entire catch to be frozen on board, thus enabling longer voyages and bigger catches. The St Finbarr was only two years old when she set off to harvest the Newfoundland Banks in mid-November 1966. At 1,139 grt she was larger than the aging sidewinders that comprised most of the Hull fleet, and the working conditions were both safer and more efficient, particularly the gutting, which now took place below decks. She had also introduced previously unimaginable levels of comfort for the crew, even having decent cabins with bedding provided.