Caroline In Captivity

Difficult decisions are taken as Ross Revenge is salvaged and impounded.

After being abandoned, the radio ship righted herself and then sat high and dry on the sands with daylight showing under the bow and stern. Usually this causes stranded ships to break in two but Ross Revenge stayed intact. For three days at each high tide the salvage tug Dextrous attempted to refloat her. On November 22nd the salvors concluded that their attempts were ceasing to be economically viable but had one last try, using a second tug to double the pulling power. Ross Revenge slipped into deeper water and was towed to Dover harbour. Some Caroline staff experienced euphoria at this upturn of events while others, worn down by the long struggle, simply felt that the agony would now continue.

Owners of rescued ships usually make contact with the salvors who in this case were Dover Harbour Board, but nobody wanted to acknowledge responsibility for Ross Revenge. Eventually two crew agreed, on the grounds that having no possessions they had nothing to lose, to sign papers to prevent the vessel being arrested. The ship however was inspected by safety officials who identified innumerable defects. Describing Ross Revenge as the most unseaworthy vessel they had ever seen, they issued a wide ranging detention order.

The crew reoccupied the ship but their happiness was short lived. For the last year they had enjoyed an isolated communal existence, receiving brief visits once a fortnight, from people who provided gifts and comforts. Now they tried to re create this life style in the middle of a bustling port where the ship was readily accessible. Visitors complained that they were being snubbed while staff delivering fuel and supplies experienced sullen rudeness if they interrupted the crews almost ritualistic routine. Totally opposed to the suggestion that the ship must be thrown open to the paying public to raise money for harbour fees, the crew engineered an unsuccessful coup and were dismissed.

Radio Caroline station manager Peter Moore

Dover Harbour Board adopted a sympathetic and practical outlook. Clearly they had salvaged a wreck with no commercial use or value, but the Ross supporters club were trying their best to be co-operative. Salvage was agreed at only £20.000 and, the crisis having created a wave of donations, half was soon paid. Then, by purchasing a low power, temporary radio licence the station was able to celebrate its Birthday at Easter 1992 with a 28 day broadcast. The novelty value of this event produced a decent profit via advertising, merchandising and paid tours and the salvage cost was cleared. After the shipwreck Ronan disappeared and later explained that he was temporarily too depressed to have any interest in his radio station. Far from congratulating those who had devised the Easter broadcast, which enabled Caroline to buy its ship back, he stated that the very idea of broadcasting with a licence turned his stomach, some of the more fanatical supporters shared this view. Peter Moore, now recognised as the owners representative by all relevant authorities was effectively in charge of the operation. A thankless task, as it later transpired.

During 1992 and 1993 the station was in the unsatisfactory position of being in control of a ship which was indefinitely detained in Dover harbour, where its tourist potential was mostly played out. Engineering teams had greatly improved the ships condition and appearance and the disdain and disgust expressed when the vessel was brought inshore was replaced by a grudging admiration for the volunteers efforts. This, plus tortuous negotiation, achieved permission, in spite of many defects remaining, for the ship to be moved to a wide river in Essex where mooring costs were greatly reduced.

This voyage was a one off concession and Ross Revenge was detained again on arrival, but it brought the ship in range of fresh visitors and enabled further one month broadcasts to be staged. Since the organisation had no rights at all, only the good nature of UK officials could enable any progress to happen and Moore went to some lengths to achieve rapport and to ensure that the station paid its bills. While the low power broadcasts and paid visits achieved this aim Moore was reviled by some staff who felt he had sold out and could not understand why the ship should not be spirited away to sea again. Few broadcasts were completed without an explosion of resentment by various factions.

Away from the Ross Revenge, Caroline programmes were being transmitted by various novel means including the hire of short wave and satellite air time and by guest broadcasts on commercial radio stations both in the UK and France. Surprisingly the Dutch authorities released all the goods they had confiscated which were reinstated on the ship.

In early 1995 the British marine authorities agreed to further concessionary voyages on the condition that income thus raised must be used to dry dock Ross Revenge for a hull inspection. Under this agreement the ship travelled to the coastal resort of Clacton to make a broadcast while at anchor two miles offshore. To Caroline purists this was the closest the station had come since 1990 to operating in a way that they found satisfactory. Then the vessel was relocated to Southend On Sea and thence to West India dock in London where yet another broadcast was made, sponsored by the political pressure group, Charter 88.

Accumulated income was considerable but here again disagreements arose via a faction that recognised neither Moore nor indeed Ronan O'Rahilly and who mooted that Ross Revenge should be abandoned so that another less encumbered ship might be purchased. After being expensively trapped in London while the dispute raged, Moore eventually organised a tow down river to Chatham in Kent. Just days after Ross Revenge left West India dock, the area was devastated by an I.R.A. bomb.

Dry docking at Chatham's Historic Dockyard, revealed that the thickness of the ship's hull was still adequate but that a substantial dent existed caused by the shipwreck. Whilst high and dry many repairs were made to ensure that Ross Revenge would remain watertight. After ten days in dry dock the ship was moved to a mooring on the River Medway where she was detained yet again, but this time for insufficient documentation. If this can be remedied and final repairs made to the steering gear the ship may be free to travel without hindrance but will not of course be free to broadcast. At the time of writing repairs are in hand and marine consultants have been retained to deal with the ships paperwork and certificates.

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