1977 — Nov 30, last contact, New Bedford MA scalloper Navigator, off Nantucket, MA–   13

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 8-13-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–13  Lost Fishermen From The Port Of New Bedford. “Navigator.” Accessed 8-13-2024.

Narrative Information

Lost Fishermen From The Port Of New Bedford. “Navigator.” Accessed 8-13-2024:

“11/30/1977

“On November 30, 1977, the Navigator left New Bedford for a ten-day trip in the waters east of Nantucket. That night, the scalloper made radio contact with the Oceanic, near the Great Round Shoal channel. The Navigator was never heard from again. The ship was reported overdue, and the Coast Guard began an extensive air-sea search on December 12 over 104,000 square nautical miles. The weather had been cold and snowy, with winds up to 40 knots and fifteen-foot seas. The Coast Guard ended the search on December 17, without finding the vessel, a life raft, or any of the thirteen crew members.

“On January 8, 1978, an Italian fishing vessel recovered the body of crew member Richard W. Neild, 90 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.”

Names of Crew of the Navigator from Lost Fishermen from New Bedford

Edison DeRezendes                25

Paul Rodrigues                       36

Richard Waldron                    20

Russell Lees                            23

Dwight Wylie

Robert Bouchard                    35

LeRoy Wallace Jr.                  19

John Taylar                              31

Norman Lepire                        49

Richard Neild                         31

John Machado Jr.                    46

Durward Fowle Jr.                  23

Timothy Hogan                       21

Newspapers

Dec 13, AP: “Boston (AP) – The 13 crewmen of a missing New Bedford scallop boat could still be alive on a life raft in the icy north Atlantic even if their vessel has sunk, the Coast Guard says. Rescuers planned to use eight aircraft and one ship today to crisscross the fishing grounds that have been whipped by storms since the 86-foot Navigator was last heard from Wednesday. ‘We are searching a sizeable area covering most of Georges Bank,’[1] said Capt. Bernard Hoyland, director on the search. ‘We’re looking for a vessel afloat or a life raft.’ The search covered a stretch of Atlantic 170 miles long and 80 miles wide. On Monday, planes from the U.S. Navy, Canadian Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard joined the Coast Guard’ planes, helicopters and cutter.

“Hoyland said the boat carried a British-made, double-bottom life raft that is covered with a canopy. He said if the crewmen are able to keep the canopy closed, and the raft is not swamped by waves, they could stay alive for several days even if the fishing boat has sunk. Hoyland said the boat had modern navigation and radio equipment, and he assumed its skipper would have contacted shore by now if he had been able to.” (Associated Press. “Coast Guard searches for scallop boat crew.” The Transcript, North Adams, MA. 12-13-1977, p. 18.)

Dec 19, AP: “Boston (AP) – The Coast Guard searched for eight days, scanning thousands of square miles of ocean, in a vain attempt to locate a missing New Bedford fishing boat and crew of 13 men. The search for the Navigator is over – called off late Saturday after a final check covering nearly 30,000 square miles southeast of Nantucket.

“The 86-foot, wooden-hulled vessel was due in port Dec. 9, and was last heard from Nov. 30, in a routine radio call to another ship. No distress call was ever received from the Navigator, no wreckage sighted, the Coast Guard said.

“The ship’s captain, Norman Lepire, 49, of Lakeville, skippered the Navigator for her last seven trips, and earned his living as a fisherman for 31 years, said his wife, Thelma Lepire.” (Associated Press. “Search for ship called off.” Greenfield Recorder, MA. 12-19-1977, p. 2.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Coast Guard searches for scallop boat crew.” The Transcript, North Adams, MA. 12-13-1977, p. 18. Accessed 8-13-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/north-adams-transcript-dec-13-1977-p-35/

Associated Press. “Search for ship called off.” Greenfield Recorder, MA. 12-19-1977, p. 2. Accessed 8-13-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/greenfield-recorder-dec-19-1977-p-2/

Lost Fishermen From The Port Of New Bedford. “Navigator.” Accessed 8-13-2024 at: https://www.lostfishermen.com/vessel/88/Navigator

[1] Georges Bank is a large elevated area of the sea floor between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia. It separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic Ocean. (Wikipedia. “Georges Bank.”) Cape Sable Island is off the southern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. To the east is coastal-central Maine.