Fishing cobles often used to do other work to help make ends meet. They would transport building materials of various kinds. Boats would go as far as Flamborough. The following article was taken from the Scarborough Evening News in 1925. It was sourced by Vanessa Milner of Scarborough Libraries Archives Group
THREE SCARBOROUGH COBLES SWAMPED. EXCITING INCIDENT IN CARNELIAN BAY
six of the local rowing cobles engaged in bringing gravel from Carnelian bay, were overwhelmed by the heavy swell which rose with the turning of the tide on Wednesday afternoon. Three of them were sunk, the men in them being fortunately able to scramble ashore and return to Scarborough.
The men had just completed the loading of the boats with gravel in the Carnelian Bay, and were setting off to run back to harbour, but had only gone a short distance when the swell drove them towards the beach again. The boats were heavily laden with gravel and three of them became unmanageable. They were low in the water and the heavy swell caused them to fill.
Motor craft put off from Scarborough to render assistance, but could not reach the spot where the mishap occurerd. The three craft were the Breadwinner, the Star of Bethlehem, the Stella, owned respectively by Messrs. Nicholas Sheader, N Cowling, and F Hick, who were in them. They were quickly broken up by the waves.
Another coble belonging to Mr Richard Sellers also filled with water, but the occupants succeeded in emptying it. A coble belonging to Mr Richard Sheader narrowly escaped being washed being sunk, owing to others being washed against it by the swell.
Cobles going to the beach at Carnelian Bay for the small gravel used by the Corporation, have to negotiate the channel between the outlying mass of rocks and the beach in which there is a strong current at all times. At the turn of the tide and when there is any swell it is particularly marked at this point.
The four cobels most affected, with their crews, are:
- Breadwinner:(N Sheader and A Hupson)
- Stella:(F Hick and A Eves)
- Star of Bethlehem(H Jowsey and N Cowling)
- Enid(J Gosling and T Eves)
The Star of Bethlehem is a total loss; the Stella was left at Carnelian Bay badly damaged; the Breadwinner is also badly damaged but has been brought to harbour, while the Enid was saved.
A relief fund has been opened by the Mayor.
The eight men given above, who were up to their necks in the sea trying to save the cobles and were exposed to the elements for seven hours, were grateful to a motorist whose name is not known who made two journeys in his car to bring them home.
Sources
- Scarborough Evening News 6th November, 1925.
