Sands of Death 2
As the North Deal lifeboat cleared the wreck of the schooner Toogo, the coxswain told his men to keep a good lookout for those struggling in the sea. One of …
Corinthian – The Sea of Souls
On Friday morning, October 31st, 1919, the ketch barge Corinthian set sail in a freshening north-east breeze. The vessel, along with the slightly smaller ketch Glenavon, had completed loading phosphates …
Crippen’s curse – two men with the same name
Another fascinating story from David Chamberlain about the the SS Montrose and the strange coincidence of two men named Crippen
Sands of Death 1 by David Chamberlain
Death affects everybody in different ways. Sadness consumes the mind along with the loss. Nevertheless, when death could be avoided, the mind is not only filled with melancholy but also …
HMS Northumberland Film Trailer
We can’t wait to see the whole film! Enjoy this trailer tease of diving HMS Northumberland by Dan Pascoe and his team. Fabulous photography as always from Michael Pitts
Autumn 2021 newsletter
There’s been much activity on the Goodwin Sands over the past few months. Read all about it in our autumn newsletter!
Diving the wreck of HMS Restoration
In August 2021, licencee Dr Doug McElvogue and his team spent five days exploring the wreck of HMS Restoration – one of four Royal Navy warships that sank during the Great Storm of …
Maritime & Coastguard Agency survey of the Goodwin Sands
Read the article about the 12 year routine survey in the Kent Mercury.
Battle of Britain article by the Daily Mail September 2020
Better posted late than never but this excellent article by Robert Hartman of the Daily Mail encapsulates exactly what we are fighting to conserve. Battle of Britain Daily Mail 15 …
Surveying the seabed of the Goodwin Sands
Read about the recent seabed survey of the Goodwin Sands online from the Isle of Thanet News.
Dover Sea Safari gets the seal of approval
Heart warming and wonderful underwater footage of a seal pup curious about visitors to its home on the Goodwin Sands. Note how the strong current is turning the propellor blades. …
Race against time to protect historic wreck
Photo: examining the cauldron by Michael Pitts Read about Dan Pascoe’s race against time to protect the historic wreck of the Royal Navy warship HMS Northumberland that was lost on the Goodwins …
Your June 2021 newsletter
If you missed our June 2021 newsletter, you can read it here. (Click on the title first)
New Deal High Street website
We are delighted and proud to be included on the new website about Deal High Street. Check out http://www.highstreetdeal.co.uk (click on the title first) to find out what is going on in …
A lifeboat station on strike
It is not very well known that in 1906 the crew of Walmer lifeboat went on strike following what was considered to be their difference of opinion with the Central …
A restoration project – the Francis Forbes Barton lifeboat
At a meeting of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Committee of Management on May 9, 1912, the decision was made to close Broastairs lifeboat station, with the actual closure taking …
A busy weekend for the lifeboats – November 1916
Over the weekend of November 19th to the 21st, 1916, two large steamships went ashore on the Goodwin Sands. Volunteers went to Kingsdown to launch the lifeboat situated there, which …
Loss of the SS Piave
One of the most outstanding incidents and rescues attended to by the North Deal lifeboat occurred a century ago in January 1919, with the rescue of the crew of the …
Coxswain James Laming – ‘a man as straight as a line’
The Deal, Walmer & Sandwich Mercury newspaper reported on the death of former Kingsdown lifeboat Coxswain, James Laming, who had been born and lived in Kingsdown all of his life. …
Walmer lifeboat coxswain, John Mackins
The death of former Walmer lifeboat Coxswain, John Mackins, was broadcast with an obituary in the Shipping Gazette and Lloyd’s List printed on Monday January 12, 1907. The obituary stated …
Henry Marsh – a Hero of the Goodwin Sands
On Saturday January 12, 1907, the East Kent Mercury newspaper printed a lengthy article following the death of Henry T. Marsh. The article described him as an aged boatman, who …
Lifeboats of The Downs on the big screen
Having found an old black and white photograph several years ago I didn’t get very far with my research to try and discover that was occurring and taking place in …
The disappearing lightship
On the 21st October 1940, the South Goodwin lightship disappeared from her station close to the South Sand Head. Fortunately the crew had been taken off a few days prior …
Goodwin Sands Treasure
Over hundreds of years, the 10 mile stretch of sand called the Goodwins has been the demise of thousands of ships and their crews. This natural hazard has trapped and …
Lost Patrols
It is a little known fact that there are at least twenty Hull and Grimsby deep sea fishing vessels sunk within eyesight of the Goodwin Sands. It has not been …
SS Mahratta 1939
At the beginning of the Second World War the anchorage in the Downs was full to overflowing with ships awaiting inspection from naval officers of the Contraband Control. Neutral vessels …
Another ship on the Goodwins
Within ten minutes of the maroons being fired the Walmer lifeboat Charles Dibden was launched from the steep beach. The weather was starting to deteriorate with an increasing southerly breeze …
U 48 – Death on the Goodwins
In the latter part of the First World War, German submariners were feeling the effect of the diligent Royal Navy and losses of U-boats were mounting up. Volunteers for the …
The fate of the ‘good ship’ Miss Lollipop
On 26th May 1944, the B17 Miss Lollipop, so named because one of the manufactures employee’s felt she would be a ‘good ship’, had just received her new American crew …
Deal and the Great Storm of 1703
With a fresh south westerly wind blowing on the 22nd of November, 1703, a British naval fleet comprising of large first, second and third rate ships-of the-line limped into the …