PULSAR

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David Mearns identified Nicola Faith

David Mearns, who has been leading a private search with the 'Pulsar' for the wreck of the f/v 'Nicola Faith', believes he has identified the boat on April 12 on the seabed off the north Wales coast. He was confident that he has found the ship because it is "largely intact". He has been leading a private search for the boat which vanished off Conwy on Jan 27. Key features of the wreck found earlier meant he felt it was the vessel. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch [MAIB] previously had announced that a sunken vessel said to be "of significant interest" was found 1.9 nautical miles from Colwyn Bay at depth of 15 metres. The length and breadth of the wreck found by the MAIB match the known dimensions of the ÄNicola Faith.' A platform mounted above the transom extended the original length of the boat to 12.1 metres. The wreck is lying at a 30-degree angle to port. The 1300 kHz BLUEVIEW sonar revealed lines floating above the wheelhouse and fishing gear forward of the aft tower. A ridge of sand has built up at the stern because of tidal flow. The exposed starboard hull showed no damage. Key features like the radar mast above the wheelhouse and high tower above the stern surely identify it as the 'Nicola Faith', to be confirmed by the MAIB and police divers later. The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents said he has issued a "Notice of Direction to Prohibit Access" around the wreck, meaning it must be left undisturbed until further notice, pending further investigation by the MAIB. The MAIB's notice is made under the powers in the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 and the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on April 14 confirmed that the wreck was the missing Conwy fishing boat. MAIB inspectors, assisted by North Wales Police Underwater Search Team, conducted a comprehensive survey which not only identified the vessel as the 'Nicola Faith' but also gathered video evidence and information that will help inform the MAIB investigation and assist in understanding the reasons the vessel sank. Reports with photos: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/missing-nicola-faith-fishing-boat-20375143 https://www.scubadivermag.com/sunken-boat-confirmed-as-nicola-faith/

Bad weather interrupts search for missing fishing vessel

The private search for the missing fishing vessel 'Nicola Faith' by the 'Pulsar' has been suspended on March 23 due to bad weather. Oceanographer David Mearns, an American marine scientist and expert in deep water recovery, is leading the private search which began on March 20, 2021. The effort followed a huge fundraiser carried out by the families of three fishermen Ross Ballantine, 39, Alan Minard, 20, and skipper Carl McGrath, 34, who went missing off the coast of Conwy on Jan 27. Mearns has met with all three families who wished to resume the search when the conditions allow. The bodies of three men were recovered from the coastline off the Wirral and Blackpool over the weekend of March 13-14. One body found on the beach at Blackpool has been identified as Mr McGrath, police confirmed on March 21. Bad weather also disrupted Mr Mearns’s search effort over the weekend, however he remained confident of tracing the sunken vessel, which could provide clues as to the cause of its disappearance. The seabed was absolutely ideal for searching. With the equipment Mears has 100 percent confidence of either finding the wreck or ruling the area out. Mearns has hired survey contractor SEP Hydrographic with equipment including a multi-beam sonar and side-scanner. The search has so far covered areas about 4.5 kilometers off the Great Orme and has ruled out possible sightings including an 11-metre shipwreck and a patch of diesel fuel off Pen Trwyn point. Mearns ill provide additional expertise to the investigation being carried out by the UK Government’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). To date more than 30 square miles of seabed have been searched. The vessel’s primary operating area has been identified and has been searched with a considerable amount of overlap. The specialist equipment that is being used is extremely sensitive and the search has been hampered by poor weather in recent weeks.