‘The year 1989 was particularly tragic in recent maritime history, a total of 33 ships were lost in the course of the year, however the night of the 25th of February 1989 proved to be particularly noteworthy, as a violent storm buffeted a wide section of the Atlantic. Ranging from Britain to Spain, the storm produced winds up to 129 km/h and waves 9 meters high; leaving 8 ships sunk or grounded as she spread her fury, laying waste to all in her path.
The MV River Gurara was a nine-year-old Motor Vessel belonging to the Nigerian National Shipping Line. Built by the Brodosplit Shipyard in Yugoslavia (Croatia today) along with 7 sister vessels namely River Majidun, River Osun, River Adada, River Oli, River Oji, River Maje and River Ogbese. She entered service in the year 1980 as part of a fleet expansion programme which began in 1976 in which nineteen brand new ships were ordered; to be built by Brodograbiliste of Yugoslavia (8 ships) and Hyundai Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries of South Korea (11 ships).
When the vessels were delivered to the NNSL in 1980 her fleet was immediate expanded to a total of 27 sea worthy MVs.
Sailing out of the Port of Apapa on the 20th of January 1989, MV River Gurara, laden with 48 crew members, passengers, 77 empty containers, cocoa, ginger, and other export commodities set sail for for Liverpool, with itinerary calls at Port-Harcourt, Douala, Tema, Abidjan, San Pedro, Dublin and Liverpool.
On the 17th of February 1989, River Gurara under the stewardship of Captain Tunde Ogundein departed San Pedro and set sailfor Dublin and Liverpool. Three days into the voyage, the Captain made a call to the NNSL’s Liverpool office reporting a problem with the ship’s main engines lubricating system. Mechanical problems were hardly novel at that stage in MV Gurara’s life, as the good lady had by November 1987 been recommended for dry docking by a Lloyd’s Ship Register surveyor’s report; citing an extensive list of defective parts including a broken sump tank, a faulty bow thruster and a defective anchor.
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Captain Ogundein was forced to divert course to Lisbon for emergency repairs. Unfortunately, a series of events would lead him and his crew to a fate no seafarer would wish for. Upon arrival at the coast of Lisbon, the faulty anchor would not deploy, forcing the vessel to drift for two days. On the second day, gale force winds hit the Gurara pushing her towards the rocky shore of Cape Espichel. The captain and crew set to work, deploying the lifeboats with the passengers onboard (including the wife and child of the Captain), whilst heroically remaining on the good lady, battling to save the stricken vessel.
A distress call was put out and received by the tug boat (Telco Commander). The tug delayed proceeding to the Gurara for six hours and fifteen minutes (20.45hrs to 02.30hrs) due to doubts as to whether the NNSL would be able to pay the $10,000 daily rate for the salvage operation. Whist the tug delayed, a second distress distress call was sent out to a Portuguese Navy Frigate in the vicinity of the stricken Gurara.
The N.R.P Hermenegildo Capelo steamed to the vicinity of the Gurara, surprisingly circled the stricken ship but rendered no assistance whilst the River Gurara, buffeted by the winds and waves was forced towards the rocky shore. She struck the rocks, broke into two and the Captain and 20 members of the crew were observed being washed off the bridge wing into the sea where they were fated to meet their deaths. The Naval vessel eventually assisted in rescuing 27 surviving crew members and all the passengers evacuated by the life boats, interestingly commencing the rescue operation following the sinking of the MV River Gurara.
River Gurara remains in her watery grave, and is the most regularly visited diving site in those waters. Little thought is given to the brave men who sacrificed it all in true mariner’s tradition to save the lives of their passengers. Captain Ogundein and 20 crew members made the ultimate sacrifice and are now at rest. They lie unmoving never to sail again, having found their peace on a dark night in the winter of discontent. We remember them as they were that cold night in February, when these brave Nigerian mariners breathed their last and experienced a seafarer’s calm.
Sea Calm
How still,
How strangely still
The water is today,
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.
Langston Hughes
MV River Gurara1980 – 1989
Imasuan Okungbowa
Imasuan is a lawyer, writer and member of the Nigeria History Group.
