The Dubious Stranding of the Lebanese Ship “George C” at Punta Curra-Caldebarcos: An Episode from 1962

In the early hours of November 6, 1962, the Lebanese ship “George C” ran aground at Punta Curra (Caldebarcos-Carnota). It was under the command of Dutch Captain Roy Mike Kahan and had a crew of 22 sailors. The ship had loaded ammonium sulfate at the port of Ghent (Belgium) and was heading to San Pedro de Macoris (Dominican Republic).

While off the coast of Finisterre, it was caught in a severe storm of force 9 with heavy rain that hampered visibility. In an attempt to seek refuge, the captain headed towards the ría de Corcubión; however, due to ignorance, intent, or lack of visibility, they took a wrong course that brought them too close to the coast of Carnota, causing the ship to run aground on one of the many shallows, ultimately becoming stranded at Punta de la Curra (Caldebarcos).

It was ten o'clock at night on November 5 when the hull struck violently against some rocks, flooding the engines and leaving the ship stranded about 200 meters from shore. After an initial inspection and given the gravity of the situation, the captain ordered the radio operator to send a distress message while also ordering the launch of flares so that their situation could be observed from the shore in the darkness of the night.

From the shore, a fisherman observed their precarious situation and reported it to the Marina Assistant of Corcubión, Manuel Coronilla Muñoz, who, after notifying his superiors, drove to the area to assess the situation and direct the rescue efforts. A German tugboat, “Atlantic,” departed from the port of A Coruña after receiving the message, intending to provide assistance.

The ship was firmly trapped against the rocks, and the sea battered it fiercely. At dawn on November 6, according to the Marina authorities, it was decided to abandon the ship. They received help from several fishing boats in the area that, at great risk, approached its side and rescued the crew (except for the captain, radio operator, and bosun who remained on board), transferring them to the port of Corcubión after the operation was completed.

After the captain and the two crew members who remained on board checked the state of the ship, they observed that holds 1, 2, and 3 and the engine room were flooded and had considerable water ingress on the starboard side. In light of the situation, the captain decided to abandon the ship, considering it lost. For this, he received assistance from the pilot of the port of Corcubión and his boat, in which several crew members boarded to retrieve the luggage they had left on board. Once recovered, these were loaded onto one of the lifeboats that was lowered and, towed by the pilot's boat, were taken to Corcubión, where the captain made a statement to the Marina authorities. The tugboat “Atlantic,” upon its arrival in the area, determined that salvage was unfeasible and returned to A Coruña.

On November 7, the captain expressed his gratitude for the encouragement and hope provided by those small boats that bravely remained in that tremendous storm, exposed to the danger of capsizing at any moment during the 10 hours they stayed in that place, as well as for the perfect assistance rendered with calmness, selflessness, and accuracy, and to the Marina Authorities who collaborated at all times and risked their lives in the rescue of the crew, as well as to the consignor for the attention given to the crew.

The shipowner was Demannet Corporation of Panama, which abandoned the ship in favor of the insurance company, the Italian Asicurationes Generali di Milano, which later sold the ship for scrap. The dismantling operations were carried out by the diving company of Corcubión, José Yermo Mandayo.

There was speculation about the possibility that the stranding was intentional to dispose of the ship and collect the insurance, although this could not be confirmed.

It had been built as “Noordwijk” in 1939 at the J. Smit Gzn Alblasserdam shipyard in Rotterdam for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Wijklijn, being requisitioned in 1940 by the Germans. At the end of World War II, it was damaged in Kristiansund; after being returned to its owners, it was repaired and continued sailing for the same company until 1955 when it was sold to a Danish shipping company that renamed it “Varangberg.” In 1960, it was sold to Demannet Corporation of Panama, which registered it in Lebanon and renamed it “George.” Its dimensions were as follows: Net tons 2,010, Gross tons 3,729, Length 103.6 meters, Beam 15.24 meters, Depth 9.22 meters.

Photos: archive of Aquiles Garea