The MV ''Lovat'' was a cargo ship which foundered off the coast of Cornwall with heavy loss of life. The casualties were so high because of deficiencies in crew training, and new regulations were brought in place afterwards to ensure that the same disaster would not be repeated.

Ship

MV ''Lovat'' was completed in the Netherlands in 1962.

Sinking

At 0620 in January 1975, the Lovat was approximately 18 miles from The Lizard when her cargo of Coal slurry shifted and she took on a list to starboard. Just ten minutes later, the crew abandoned ship - however, they were unable to launch the lifeboat and the entire crew of thirteen were forced to use a ten-person inflatable liferaft. The liferaft was damaged during the launching, which meant that waves were able to travel through the open entrance on one side and out of the other, soaking the occupants inside. Only two of the crew of thirteen were saved, by the crew of the ''Solomon Browne'' of

Penlee Lifeboat Station Penlee Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations for Mount's Bay in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The lifeboat station operated at various locations in Penzance from the early 19th cent ...

and the crew of a

Westland Whirlwind Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

from RNAS Culdrose, in particular Leading Aircrewman Peter Gibbs, who was awarded the

Queen's Gallantry Medal The Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) is a United Kingdom decoration awarded for exemplary acts of bravery where the services were not so outstanding as to merit the George Medal, but above the level required for the Queen's Commendation for Braver ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovat Colliers 1961 ships Ships built in the Netherlands Maritime incidents in 1975