Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Alan Crawford initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. ...
, as well as having supported
Radio Monique
Radio Monique was an offshore radio station broadcasting to the Netherlands and Belgium from the Radio Caroline ship, .
Originally intended to broadcast in 1981 from a new radio ship called MV ''Magda Maria'' alongside a station to be called Radio ...
and various religious broadcasters. Funded by the Icelandic government, she was constructed in
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
in 1960 and served as an Icelandic commercial trawler until 1963 when sold to the
Ross Group
The Ross Group was a British food company founded in Grimsby, England in 1920.
The Ross brand remains prominent in the retail frozen fish market. David Ross, the co-founder and significant shareholder in mobile telephone retailer The Carphon ...
fleet, notably taking part in the
Cod Wars
The Cod Wars ( is, Þorskastríðin; also known as , ; german: Kabeljaukriege) were a series of 20th-century confrontations between the United Kingdom (with aid from West Germany) and Iceland about fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each o ...
of the 1970s. Following her decommissioning, she was purchased by Radio Caroline and outfitted as a radio ship, complete with antenna mast and transmitter. Her broadcasts began on 20 August 1983; her final
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
broadcast took place in November 1990. She ran aground on the
Goodwin Sands
Goodwin Sands is a sandbank at the southern end of the North Sea lying off the Deal coast in Kent, England. The area consists of a layer of approximately depth of fine sand resting on an Upper Chalk platform belonging to the same geologi ...
in November 1991, bringing the era of offshore pirate radio in Europe to an end. She was, however, salvaged, and is now maintained by the Caroline Support Group, a group of supporters and enthusiasts.
Service as a trawler (1960–83)
''Freyr'' was built in
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
, Germany by Seebeck for the Icelandic government. She was registered in Reykjavik and carried the registration RE 1.
In August 1963 she was sold to Ross Trawlers and renamed ''Ross Revenge'', registration GY 718 (home port
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
). In this capacity, the ship was involved in the
Cod Wars
The Cod Wars ( is, Þorskastríðin; also known as , ; german: Kabeljaukriege) were a series of 20th-century confrontations between the United Kingdom (with aid from West Germany) and Iceland about fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each o ...
of the 1970s.
''Ross Revenge'' holds the world record for the biggest catch. In 1976 she landed a catch of 3,000 kits (approximately 218 tonnes) of Icelandic cod at Grimsby, subsequently sold for a world record price of £75,597.
After serving as a diving support ship from 1979 to 1981, she was taken to the Cairnryan breakers' yard in Cairnryan, Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway on the west coast of Scotland, not
Rosyth
Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440.
The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...
in the Firth of Forth on the Scottish east coast.
Radio Caroline (1983–1991)
While moored at the Cairnryan breakers' yard, ''Ross Revenge'' was found to be suitable for use in the
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Alan Crawford initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. ...
project. As a result, Ernst Kunz from Austria a director of Seamore Company, Liechtenstein purchased ''Ross Revenge'' for £28,500. The ship was subsequently registered in Panama to Grothan Steamship Line, SA Panama. It is worth noting that both Seamore and Grothan were influenced heavily by
Ronan O'Rahilly
Aodogán Ronan O'Rahilly (21 May 1940 – 20 April 2020) was an Irish businessman best known for the creation of the offshore radio station, Radio Caroline and the band Sheep On Drugs. He also became manager of George Lazenby, who played James ...
.
In April 1981, ''Ross Revenge'' was towed from the Cairnryan breakers' yard, and arrived in
Solares
Medio Cudeyo is a municipality in Cantabria in Spain, around 15 km from Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a departme ...
five days later. Come Autumn, work began on converting her into a functioning radio ship. Her transmitter mast, at above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
, was the tallest mast ever fitted to a ship.
Early in 1982, new investors were found for Radio Caroline. Of these, the principal investor, James Ryan, was later arrested for
fraud
In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...
. Chains he had placed on ''Ross Revenge'' would later be removed prior to her drydocking. On 23 September, she was registered as a pleasure craft in Panama with registry number 9625-POXT, and her callsign was HP-4344. In May 1983, Caroline Communications acquired full legal ownership of ''Ross Revenge'', whereafter she was drydocked and given a protective coating. Insurance problems regarding the lifeboats would prevent ''Ross Revenge'' from setting sail until 4 August.
''Ross Revenge'' sets sail
At 15:00 on 4 August 1983, MV ''Ross Revenge'' set sail under the command of Captain Martin Eve. Problems with the engines forced the ship to be towed to its anchorage. On 8 August 1983, ''Ross Revenge'' dropped anchor in the Kentish Knock. The next day, a test transmission was made on some time after which ''Ross Revenge'' shifted anchorage to the Knock John Deep.
On 20 January 1984, ''Ross Revenge'' lost her anchor and drifted south onto a sand bank within British waters, and broadcasts were stopped. Broadcasts resumed two days later, at which time she had returned to her anchorage. On 3 March, a force twelve storm necessitated the dragging of the emergency anchor. A new anchor system was installed and operational two days later.
On 10 June 1987, Radio Caroline closed down for "maintenance" at 07:00; in fact, ''Ross Revenge'' sailed to a new position near South Falls Head, in anticipation of the forthcoming Territorial Sea Act that extended British territorial waters to (from ). This was announced when broadcasts resumed at 16:54 that day.
On 20 November the same year, the ship started to list to 25° due to exceedingly rough weather. Five days later, force eight storms hit the ship; transmissions ceased abruptly at 02:51. The antenna mast had broken at its base and collapsed into the sea. Other than this, the ship sustained very little damage . The next day, parts were delivered for a makeshift aerial. By 27 January, a new mast had been built, but required adjustment.
Logistics
From Radio Caroline's inception, small vessels originating from the English coast brought
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
DJs
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
to ''Ross Revenge''.
Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
was brought in weekly from Nieuwpoort via ''Zeemeeuw'', hired in 1984. During and following the "Eurosiege" of 1985, in which the Dutch naval
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
was anchored near ''Ross Revenge'', the skipper of ''Zeemeeuw'' deemed it too risky to continue ferrying fuel, and so
Radio Monique
Radio Monique was an offshore radio station broadcasting to the Netherlands and Belgium from the Radio Caroline ship, .
Originally intended to broadcast in 1981 from a new radio ship called MV ''Magda Maria'' alongside a station to be called Radio ...
acquired the use of ''Poolster'', again operating from Nieuwpoort. In 1987, they changed to using the ''Bellatrix'', operating out of
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
On 6 November 1988 two new aerial masts were taken out to the Ross Revenge. On 4 January 1989 were taken aboard to give the ship as much stability as possible while erecting the new transmitter masts. On 12 February the front mast had been rebuilt bar one section, and the shortwave aerial had been restored. The work on the two new masts continued until May.
Technical Details
The Ross Revenge featured 3 transmitters, a 50 kW RCA BTA-50H, serving as the ship's main transmitter. A smaller 10 kW BTA-10H was also installed, originally intended to be a backup for the 50 kW, but was adopted to broadcast a second service from the ship as well. The ship's 5 kW transmitter had an interesting history on board the ship, installed at first as a source of spare parts, but then was converted to broadcast a third shortwave service. After the 1989 raid, both of the primary 50 and 10 kW transmitters suffered damage, with the 50 kW being dismantled and since the 10 kW been smashed to pieces, the 5 kW was put back into action with parts hidden during the raid, albeit on very low power. Power did eventually increase with more parts being sourced, and eventually being put up to 7.5 kW.
The ship's original electrical system was entirely DC based, with the ship having 4 main forms of electrical generation, two Deutz 6 cylinder generators producing 120 kW each, and a smaller MWM harbour generator, producing 35 kW. A shaft generator coming from the ships main engine was also used to produce electrical power. When the ship was converted to a broadcasting vessel, the need came for AC power generation, two 250 KVA generators were installed, with the two sets being swapped in and out of service every week. Usually radio ships had mismatched generators, or only 1 main one. Having 2 identical generators proved useful for maintenance, as parts could simply be swapped.
Plans were made prior to the mast collapse to install another 50 kW transmitter, so a new 500 KVA generator was brought aboard the ship, along with a new main electrical switchboard.
Armed raid
On 19 August 1989 armed representatives of the Dutch Government boarded ''Ross Revenge''. ''Volans'', a Dutch Water Police
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
, contained a boarding party of about 30 armed men, including Dutch, British, French and Belgian officials. The boarding party removed studio equipment, records and tapes. The aerial array was taken down, parts of the transmitter were removed, and other components were smashed with sledgehammers.
The staff and DJs were determined to keep the station on the air despite the raid, and on 1 October the station reopened on low power, using a makeshift transmitter and new studio equipment. Broadcasts were initially on low power and the station suffered equipment failures and temporary blackouts, but over the next few months the technical hitches were ironed out and transmitter power was increased.
Abandonment and retaking
At the end of November 1990, ''Ross Revenge'' suffered a power failure, which resulted in the ship being unlit for several nights.
Trinity House
"Three In One"
, formation =
, founding_location = Deptford, London, England
, status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity
, purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons
, he ...
warned the station that the ship must be lit during the hours of darkness, to comply with maritime regulations. As ''Ross Revenge'' was low on fuel, and the main generators had failed due to disuse, a small petrol generator was being used to power the ship. During force nine storms on 10 December ''Ross Revenge'' suffered another power failure, the small petrol generator having been thrown around the deck, and the supplies of petrol having been washed over the side by waves. The crew called the station office, who in turn called the
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
Coast Guard. The coast guard contacted the ship, and a helicopter was sent out at 23:00. By 23:45 ''Ross Revenge'' was completely evacuated.
The next day the crew from the Trinity House vessel ''Patricia'' boarded ''Ross Revenge'', checked the stores and general condition of the ship and then left. By dawn the Dover Coast Guard were reporting that ''Ross Revenge'' was abandoned. North Foreland Radio and other coastal stations issued hourly reports warning shipping vessels that ''Ross Revenge'' was unmanned and unlit. On 14 December a successful boarding attempt was made, and at approximately 11:00 Peter Chicago (main engineer) regained control of ''Ross Revenge''. He was joined by Tony Collis, who had advised Chicago of rumours of foreign tugs on their way to claim ''Ross Revenge'' for salvage.
''Ross Revenge'' runs aground
On 19 November 1991, storms built up across Europe. Consequently, very high seas with north easterly winds were experienced by the crew of ''Ross Revenge''. By the early hours of the next morning force ten storms were battering ''Ross Revenge'', and eventually the main anchoring system failed. Dover Coast Guard asked other sea traffic to confirm that the ship they were tracking was the ''Ross Revenge'' . At 03:50 ''Ross Revenge'' grounded on the Goodwin Sands. The crew contacted Dover Coast Guard and a helicopter was sent from
RAF Manston
Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpor ...
, and at 04:45 the Dover tug ''Dextrous'' was on her way. At 05:35 the crew of ''Ross Revenge'' made contact with the
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
lifeboat, which had also been sent by the Dover Coast Guard. At 06:58 the lifeboat became stuck on the Goodwin Sands, but her crew managed to free her. At 06:57 hours RAF Manston Sea King helicopter 166 took the crew of ''Ross Revenge'' off the ship. On 21 November, ''Dextrous'' managed to get lines on ''Ross Revenge'' and successfully pulled the radio ship off the Goodwin Sands. ''Ross Revenge'' was then towed back to the Eastern Docks at Dover.
Following the near shipwrecking, the ship has been maintained by an association of enthusiasts called the Caroline Support Group (formerly, the Ross Revenge Support Group).
In October 1993 ''Ross Revenge'' was anchored off
Bradwell-On-Sea
Bradwell-on-Sea is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. The village is on the Dengie peninsula. It is located about north-northeast of Southminster and is east from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the District of Mald ...
in the
Blackwater Estuary
The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An area of 4,395 hectares is also designated a Ramsar Wetland o ...
in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, within sight of the
Bradwell nuclear power station
Bradwell nuclear power station is a decommissioned Magnox-design nuclear power station located on the Dengie peninsula at the mouth of the River Blackwater, Essex. In 2019, it was the first nuclear power station in the UK to be placed into long- ...
. In August 1995 ''Ross Revenge'' was towed to
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the Tendring District in the county of Essex, England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District with a population of 56,874 (2016). The town is situated a ...
. In September the vessel was moored near
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
and in the middle of that month it was moored at the end of Southend Pier. On 25 September ''Ross Revenge'' was towed from Southend to the Thames Quay, West India Docks in Docklands, London by the tugs ''Horton'' and ''Warrior''. In February 1996 the ship was towed from South quay, Docklands towards Ailsa Perth Marine's shipyard at Chatham, Kent and put into dry dock. In August 1997 MV ''Ross Revenge'' was moved to Queenbourgh, Isle of Sheppey, by the tugs ''Lady Morag'' and ''Lady Brenda''. On 21 June 1999 the ship was towed to Southend-on-Sea Pier. The ship left Southend on 28 September under tow from the tug ''Horton'', and was moored on the
River Medway
The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...
in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
at ship berth No. 24.
On Christmas Eve 1999, MV ''Ross Revenge'', still anchored in the River Medway, broke its moorings during high winds and ran aground on a sandbank. Two tugs were radioed by another ship moored nearby and managed to pull ''Ross Revenge'' off the bank and tow it into
Sheerness
Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town ...
harbour. The two people on board were both unhurt. Although the ship was not badly damaged, the salvage was extremely expensive. On 8 January 2000 the vessel was moved back onto the moorings at Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey. From July 2003 ''Ross Revenge'' was moored on the River Medway at Strood/Rochester, just downstream from Rochester Bridge.
Present day
Restoration work on ''Ross Revenge'' has been ongoing. In August 2004, the vessel was used for (legitimate) Radio Caroline broadcasts on while berthed on the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
at
Tilbury
Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an ancie ...
. This was funded by the UK National Lottery organisation. As is usual with Restricted Service Licence broadcasts, transmission power was restricted to one watt. Following broadcasts, she remained berthed at Tilbury, and restoration work continued on the secondary studio( Radio Monique's Former Studio), which was completely reconstructed. General restoration and refitting of the ship took place during 2004–2006, including the fitting of a new central heating boiler, improvements to the electrical system, repainting of the ship, and refurbishment of the Mess Room and Crew Quarters.
During 2013, a new transmitter mast was erected on MV ''Ross Revenge''.
MV ''Ross Revenge'' left the River Thames at Tilbury on 31 July 2014. Her new mooring is on the
Blackwater Estuary
The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An area of 4,395 hectares is also designated a Ramsar Wetland o ...
near Bradwell, Essex.
From 2015, "Radio Caroline North" has broadcast 'live' from the ''Ross Revenge'', usually on the second or third weekend of the calendar month and on offshore music-radio anniversary dates, courtesy of
Manx Radio
Manx Radio (legally Radio Manx Ltd.) ( gv, Radio Vannin) is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of ...
's AM transmitter on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
.
On 31 May 2017, MV ''Ross Revenge'' was included in the National Register of Historic Vessels. The entry states: "It is believed she is the last example of a distant water side trawler and the only remaining pirate radio ship in the world. She is significant as she remains as she was built, only with the addition of radio broadcasting equipment, which remains in place."
On Friday 22 December 2017, Radio Caroline launched a new 24 hours per day AM service on Medium Wave for Suffolk and North Essex with a series of special programmes broadcast from the Ross Revenge, however the transmitters are land-based, with the audio coming from the ships on-board studios.
See also
*
Ross Tiger
''Ross Tiger'' is a traditional side-winder fishing trawler that was converted into a museum ship in 1992. She is currently berthed in Alexandra Dock at her home port of Grimsby, close to the site of the former PS ''Lincoln Castle''. She forms ...
Preserved trawler of the Ross fleet, berthed at Grimsby's
National Fishing Heritage Centre
The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a heritage attraction at Alexandra Dock, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, opened in 1991. The attraction is an Arts Council England Accredited Museum and holds a number of awards, including the TripAdvis ...