A 92-year-old wooden boat with reported wartime service has been salvaged after suffering damage and near-sinking off West Bay on 4 July. The vessel, known as Athlone Castle, was carrying children and adults for a birthday party when it broke down and was beached; all passengers disembarked safely.
History under the hull
The current owner, Jeremy Gower, who bought the vessel about eight years ago, has been researching its past. He says log books held at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich indicate the 32ft (9.75m) former radio boat crossed the Atlantic on seven occasions to escort supply convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. One entry reportedly records the vessel being some 1,700 miles from land and encountering waves of 70-80ft (20-25m).
"Crossing the Atlantic is beyond bonkers and they did it seven times. They only had a motor and the mothership would see them every two to three days to refuel."
What happened at West Bay
On 4 July the vessel experienced mechanical failure and was deliberately beached at West Bay to protect those aboard. Attempts to re-float Athlone Castle in the days that followed were unsuccessful, and it was later towed to safety. Mr Gower has described the boat as a familiar sight in the harbour, having been visible there since his childhood.
- Date of incident: 4 July
- Location: West Bay, Dorset
- Current status: Damaged, subsequently towed to safety; owner is fundraising for restoration
Why it matters locally
Athlone Castle is believed to be among the last surviving of the small civilian vessels involved in Operation Dynamo, the 1940 evacuation from northern France. Mr Gower says the boat was one of roughly 30 craft that sailed to Dunkirk after the main flotilla and carried evacuees back to Ramsgate on at least one crossing. Its survival would be significant both for local maritime heritage at Bridport and for the wider story of civilian contribution to wartime rescue and convoy protection.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 32 ft (9.75 m) |
| Age | 92 years |
| Role (historical) | Former radio vessel; reported convoy and Dunkirk service |
Mr Gower has begun fundraising to cover the cost of major repairs required to restore Athlone Castle to a seaworthy condition and preserve its historical fabric. Local interest in maritime preservation and the boat’s wartime connections mean any restoration would attract attention beyond West Bay.
For now the priority has been the immediate salvage and assessment of damage; further work will depend on the outcome of the fundraising and specialist surveys to determine how extensive the repairs will need to be.
