Dorset Belles

Once around the bay

Skylark Launch circa 1940s

Disaster as Bolson boat sinks off Bournemouth Pier with

70 passengers on board; miraculously only 1 loss of life

Skylark 6 had returned to peacetime duties for the first time on Easter Saturday morning operating from the pier and was in the charge of Frederick Vincent assisted by Reginald Kent.

On its 13:45 trip 70 passengers were on board and all seemed normal until a heavy knocking was heard. Vincent thought that the noise had come from the gear box, but then decided that the knocking had come from further aft. Kent was sent to make an examination and he tightened some bolts, which he thought may have been the cause of the noise.

The engine was put back in gear but the same knocking noise occurred and the engine appeared to be racing. A further inspection was made but it was now noticed that water was seeping up through the floorboards. Two pumps were put into action, although no attempt was made to locate the leak. The horn was sounded as a sign of distress and a flag waved from the end of an oar.  

Bournemouth Pier Easter Sunday 21st April 1946.  On such a day what could be better than a short cruise around Poole Bay lasting ½ hour on J. Bolson & Son’s Skylark 6 - a 45 feet open passenger launch, motor-powered and licensed to carry 82 passengers. Built at Poole in 1922 it already had an interesting history. During May 1940 it had been involved in the famous Dunkirk evacuation but was put out of action by a near miss from a bomb and had subsequently drifted about the Channel for about four days practically waterlogged. The vessel was finally recovered, taken to Dover and then towed back to Poole. After being fully overhauled Skylark 6 was again requisitioned by the Admiralty for use in Poole harbour until it was handed back to Bolson early in 1946.

Mr Bolson, senior, who was on the beach was informed that his vessel was apparently in some distress and he immediately organised a rescue.  By now a variety of small rowing boats was coming to the rescue and when the first one arrived it found that the water in Skylark 6 was almost up to the thwarts (the top of the wooden seats). Shortly afterwards the high-powered launch of British Overseas Airways Corporation arrived from Poole rescued the remaining passengers.  Sadly, Reginald Kent. died from shock when a wave engulfed him.

The accident, like the Bournemouth sinking of 60 years earlier, showed how an innocent and very pleasant cruise could so easily and quickly turn to disaster. Thankfully on both occasions the sea conditions were most favourable, otherwise there would have been far more tragic results.