My Brighton and Hove | Places | Seafront | Athina B

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Athina B

Anchor of Athina B, located east of Brighton Pier

From the private collection of Mike Stone

All they left was the anchor

By Mike Stone, Entertainer

"This anchor is all that's left of the Athina B, a boat which was washed up on Brighton seafront in 1980. I woke up one morning in Kemp Town, walked down on to the seafront, and there was this great big, rusty old boat on the beach. Apparently it was shipwrecked in the night. On the beach, instead of pebbles, there were all these little grey stones which apparently were the boat's cargo. The boat was towed out about two days later, and all they left was the anchor."

Image and text from the 'My Brighton' exhibit

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

Mr Stone is incorrect when he states that the vessel was only on the beach a couple of days before it was towed off. It actually stayed on the beach a few weeks before it was unloaded and towed off the beach. The reason that I know this was because I was the Coxswain of the Shoreham that rescued the crew from the Athine B and we later went down to Brighton with the Lifeboat to assist when the tug towed the vessel off during the dense fog that was prevailing on that day.

By Ken Voice (05/11/2003)

I also went along to see the ship stranded on the beach. It must have been in January or February 1980, as that was when I was working at a show in the Norfolk Hotel, and we all took time out to have a look. The load I was told was pumice stone.

By John Desborough (06/11/2003)

I'd like to thank you Ken and the rest of the Shoreham lifeboat crew for saving my family and the rest of the ship's crew in such dangerous circumstances. I am one of the captain's daughters whom you saved that day. My family have never forgotten how brave and selflessly you all acted. I remember jumping off the ship into the lifeboat and having to time it to coincide with a wave lifting the boat to the height of the ship and the arms of a crew member waiting to catch me. Thank you to all of you.

By Gillian Tsiknas (05/08/2008)