
The MV Bowbelle Ferry Disaster was a tragic event that occurred on July 7, 1981, in the River Thames, England. The ferry was carrying over 300 passengers and crew.
The ferry was traveling from Gravesend to Tilbury when it collided with a cargo ship, the MV Atlantic Empress, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The collision caused significant damage to the ferry's hull.
The ferry was eventually beached near the Isle of Grain, where passengers were evacuated. The incident resulted in 9 fatalities and 35 injuries.
The investigation into the incident found that the ferry's lookout had failed to notice the cargo ship in time, leading to the collision.
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Background
The MV Bowbelle was a British ferry that was involved in a major collision in 1981.
Built in 1965, the ship was 84 meters long and had a gross tonnage of 2,444 tons.
The Bowbelle was operated by the British Railways Board and had a crew of 15 people on board.
Timeline
The MV Bowbelle was a ferry that met a tragic fate. It sank on January 9, 1981, after colliding with a tanker.
The ferry was on its way to the Isle of Wight from Poole when disaster struck. The collision occurred near the Sandbanks Peninsula in Dorset.
The ferry was severely damaged and eventually sank, but miraculously, only one person lost their life in the incident.
20 August 1989
On 20 August 1989, a Port of London hydrographic surveyor located the wreckage of the Marchioness.
Work began on lifting the vessel in the late afternoon of that day, and 24 bodies of party-goers were found on board, 12 of them in the lower saloon.
The wreckage was moored against the north bank of the Thames.
Police arrested and interviewed Henderson and Kenneth Noble, who were breathalysed, with the police announcing that alcohol was not a cause of the collision.
1989 to 1997
In 1989, the World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee, making it easier for people to access and share information.

This led to a rapid growth in internet usage, with the number of internet users increasing from 2 million in 1991 to 16 million in 1995.
The first graphical web browser, Mosaic, was released in 1993, making it easier for people to navigate the web.
Netscape Navigator was released in 1994, offering faster browsing and more features than Mosaic.
The internet was still largely text-based, but the introduction of graphics and images made it more visually appealing.
By 1995, online shopping was becoming a thing, with companies like Amazon and eBay starting to sell products online.
The first online banking services were also introduced in the mid-1990s, making it possible for people to manage their finances from home.
The internet was becoming an essential tool for businesses, with more and more companies setting up websites to reach customers.
Reports
Reports were a crucial part of the investigation into the Marchioness disaster.
Lord Justice Clarke conducted a non-statutory inquiry, which resulted in a chronology of events being published in 2000.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) also conducted an investigation, publishing a five-part report in 1991.
The reports provide a detailed account of the events leading up to the collision and its aftermath.
The MAIB's report is a comprehensive analysis of the incident, covering various aspects of the collision.
The reports are a valuable resource for understanding the Marchioness disaster and its impact on the River Thames.
Here is a list of the reports mentioned in the article:
- Thames Safety Inquiry by Lord Justice Clarke (2000)
- Non-statutory Inquiry: Chronology by Lord Justice Clarke (2000)
- Marchioness / Bowbelle: Formal Investigation under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 by Lord Justice Clarke (2001)
- Report of the Investigation into the Collision Between the Passenger Launch Marchioness and MV Bowbelle by Marine Accident Investigation Branch (1991)
Frequently Asked Questions
Whose fault was the Marchioness disaster?
The Marchioness disaster was caused by a combination of factors, including poor lookout on both vessels and the failure of Captain Henderson and Marchioness skipper Stephen Faldo to set up a proper system of lookout. This led to a collision that could have been avoided with proper vigilance.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Bowbelle
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchioness_disaster
- https://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/merchant-navy-general-postings/33173-bowbelle-wreck-souls.html
- https://www.statewatch.org/news/2000/june/statewatch-news-online-marchioness-public-inquiry/
- https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1997/nov/03/the-marchionessbowbelle-collision
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