The steel motor vessel Blatence was launched from the Hull yard of J R Hepworth and Co Ltd (Yard No 104) in 1969. She measured 44.43m x 7.88m x 2.23m’ and her tonnage was 392 gross tons, 278 net tons. She was powered by an 8 cylinder 4SA diesel engine by Bergius Kelvin Ltd, Glasgow delivering 320 brake horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1989.
She was ordered by The London and Rochester Trading Company Ltd and operated for that business until she was sold to Derek Parnaby Cyclones International Ltd of Ferryhill who renamed her Laten in July 1983. She was acquired by her final owners, the Dennison Shipping Co Ltd., Kirkwall in January 1986 who renamed her Calf Sound.
MV Calf Sound
On 25th September 1989 she was en route from Bergen to Kirkwall with a cargo of 450 tons of cement under the command of Captain Terence Kelly who had a crew of three men aboard. When she was in a position approximately fourteen miles east of South Ronladsay she was caught in heavy seas causing her to roll badly. Steering became very difficult with the vessel pitching and rolling and as a result she took on a heavy list to port possibly caused by some of the cargo shifting. A Mayday message sent out at 11:55am was picked up ashore and the Kirkwall lifeboat was quickly launched and set out for the Calf Sound. The MFV Ardency which was fishing nearby also answered the call. A Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth was also scrambled. The race was on to save the crew before she capsized.
When the helicopter reached the Calf Sound, Flight Lieutenant John Prince reported she had a thirty degree list and was wallowing heavily in the swell and forty knot wind. Two of the crewmen, deckhand Christopher Leech and engineer Kenneth Fraser, were winched to safety while the captain and his mate, Brian Woodcock, stayed aboard to attempt to get a tow rope from the trawler Ardency and the tug Wizard which by now had also arrived to provide assistance. However, this proved impossible and soon after, the last two men were taken off by the Kirkwall lifeboat. The Calf Sound remained afloat with the cabin and living quarters almost submerged before she finally sank at around 4:45pm.
