Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

SW WIND 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NW 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
WIND WAVES 5 FT.
W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT NW WIND 15 KT.
WIND WAVES 2 FT.
W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

That's right...things look pretty much like a shipwreck out there.

About the pic...

On Sunday, 20 January 1963, 23 men and a puppy were rescued by breeches buoy from the Lebanese registered cargo steamer, Adelfotis II after it ran aground at South Shields' North Foreshore. This thirty-four year old ship (6224 tons) had left Middlesborough bound for Antwerp on the previous day in order to pick up a cargo of steel coils for delivery to Spain. However, on travelling southbound down the coast passed Whitby, she encountered force 9 North Sea gales, problems ensued, and by 4 a.m. on Sunday morning the Adelfotis II found herself north of where she had started from, at the mouth of the Tyne.

Captain Nicolas Leondaris recognised the harbour from a previous visit six weeks earlier, and decided to run for shelter in the Tyne. At the wheel was 28 year old, second officer, Leondaras Papaskeys. They negotiated the Tyne piers without a pilot on board as the weather was too bad to take one on, but the Adelfotis II veered starboard and struck the Black Midden Rocks at Tynemouth, the scene of many a shipwreck. She rebounded and was swept across the mile wide harbour, going aground at Herd Sands, South Shields.

The huge waves drove her 300 yards along the sands during the next seven hours. In danger of capsizing, her radio call for help was answered by the South Shields and Sunderland volunteer life brigades. Tugs could not get near, and a line was shot onto the ship. Within two hours all of the 23 Greek crew were rescued, and also Manuella, a two month old smooth haired terrier, brought ashore tucked in the jacket of third engineer, John Politis. None of the crew were injured, but all suffering from exposure having been immersed several times in the stormy sea.

South Shields hospitality was as expected, about a hundred people turned out to help. Hot tea was provided by the local people throughout the rescue. Mrs Elly Tearney of Grotto Gardens got an unexpected early morning call from the local police asking for her help. Mrs Tearney, a native of northern Greece was asked if she could act as translator, and was whisked away to the Ingham Infirmary to meet the rescued crewmen. On her arrival there were already seven Greek seamen at the infirmary, and Mrs Tearney did a splendid job of translating their accounts of what had happened.

~from Carol Green's Geordie website