Ocean Dawn goes "home"

By Sandy Robertson

After leaving Lowestoft in the late 1980s and heading for Sweden, the Ocean Dawn finally returned to Great Yarmouth as the honorary guest at the annual 'Heritage Herring Fayre' on 12th September 2000.

Crew List: Sandy (Skipper), Debbie, Pete, Shona, John, Kieran (Chief Engineer), Warren, Linda, Alex, Charlotte and Cameron and Mitsy the Yorkshire Terrier.

After 24hours of moderate to rough weather with the sea stateF8 during the night we sailed into Great Yarmouth Harbour with relief on a calm sunny morning.

We all had a great time, meeting some old crew members who served on the Ocean Dawn, learning more about the historical facts of the boat, and her life as a long line fishing vessel, being one of the local drifters.

It was quite an emotional reunion between the boat and local folk of Great yarnouth, telling sea stories deep into the night. One ex-fisherman even remembered where his old sleeping bunk was and went down below into the sleeping quarters to have a lie down in it!

Local historians came along and took photos of the boat and the local newspaper sent a journalist to interview us and take photgraphs to appear in the next addition. They were particularly interested in Sandy's previous trip on board the SY Lucette and how we as a family came to living on a boat.

We spent some time looking around Great Yarmouth and soaking up the atmosphere of the annual Heritage Fishing Fayre. Everyone wore traditional costumes wandering around the quayside, and sitting on the wall next to the boats eating smoked kippers and local fish and chips.

We left feeling quite exhilarated with the 2 day experience and waved vigorously to photographers who had got up extra early on the moning that we left to take photographs of Ocean Dawn as she left Great Yarmouth, wondering if she would return again someday.