User:GarethfromBarry/sandbox

'The "Jamaica Planter", a ship that was beached at Barry, Wales, UK in 1941
In 1941 a ship named "Jamaica Planter" struck a mine in Barry Roads off the seaport of Barry in the Bristol Channel, UK. "Barry Roads" is the name given to the stretch of water off Barry where ships could safely anchor while waiting for the tide to rise sufficiently to allow them to dock in the Bristol Channel ports of Barry, Cardiff, Newport and Avon-mouth (Bristol). The ship then suffered a series of tragic and unfortunate events.

During WWII, the Germans would moor mines everywhere in the Bristol Channel and these mines would sometimes would break loose and end up on the beaches around Barry, causing much local excitement. Ships would often run aground also either from striking a mine or losing their way on dark nights or when in fog in the tidal waters off Barry that attained speeds of up to 5 knots during maximum ebb or maximum flood, especially during the period of spring tides when the sun and moon were in conjunction or opposition.

It was a small mercy, but due to the flat sands and the flat rocks, the ships remained upright. Sometimes, when the ship was firmly aground and the storm or bad conditions had lessened the crew would climb down their gangways and ladders and walk ashore to safety.

When the "Jamaica Planter" struck a mine in 1941 in Barry Roads she was deliberately beached in Watchtower Bay, which was a part of the "Old Harbour" in Barry, which just to the west of the Barry Docks entrance, with Whitmore Bay intervening. This was done to prevent her sinking in deep and fast moving waters. The tides at Barry are the second highest in the world, being second only to the Bay of Fundy on the east coast of Canada between the Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The Jamaica Planter was named affectionately "The Orange Boat" by the people of Barry, especially the children who did well from the cargo of oranges which tumbled everywhere when the tide went out and left the ship upright, but broken in two. Efforts were made by the local police and Home Guard to keep the local citizens and children away, but to no avail. Many houses in Barry that day had bowls of oranges sitting on their tables.

It was a sight to behold with the sea a kilometre away and this large ship sitting upright on the hard sand and hundreds of people and many times that number of oranges all around and about! For most, it had been years since they had seen an orange and many children had never seen one, let alone taste one.

When the tide came back in the Jamaica Planter towed out of Watchtower Bay and taken around the corner, so to speak, and into Barry Docks where C.H. Bailey operated a large drydock where ships could be repaired in safety. The Germans tried to bomb her while she was in drydock, fortunately with little success.

After repairs had been completed and she was deemed seaworthy she left Barry bound for the next Welsh seaport to the west, Swansea, but collided with s/s " Wellesley" and sank without loss of life in the Barry Roads.

Amongst other things, the author of this article was present during some of the events described above as a six year old child, specifically when the ship was beached. Also reference should be made to an article in support of the facts overall: "History of Barry" by Tom Clemetts at: .