The Deep Diver was built in 1945 as a supply vessel for the Admiralty. Less than 100 feet long, she had a more powerful engine than the MV Mi Amigo.
In 1977, the ship was partially equipped as a floating radio station in Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland, under the guise of a film lighting vessel—an arrangement that did not attract much attention from the authorities. The preparations included a horizontal T-antenna and two FM transmitters, each with a capacity of 1 kW.
The ship was intended to host Radio Sunshine and was the brainchild of Chris Cary and Dick Palmer. Bob Noakes and Robbie Dale were also involved in the project’s preparations, which were persistently hampered by financial difficulties.
“The plan was to anchor off the Costa Brava, partly financed by Philip Solomon,” explains Captain Dick Palmer. “Engineer Bob Noakes came close to receiving ‘a concrete overcoat’ after he threatened to report the project to the authorities. We ran out of money, and the ship was seized by her owners.”
There were two major obstacles to mooring a radio ship off Spain: first, the waters were very deep—several hundred feet—making anchoring difficult. Secondly, Spain already had many commercial radio networks and independent stations. The idea of operating an offshore station off the Spanish coast was clearly unviable, as it would have been extremely costly and unlikely to generate much revenue.
In April 1978, the vessel left Belfast Harbour, heading for Portugal. However, the crew soon realised that the ship was far too small for the journey. They attempted to return to Belfast, but after experiencing issues with the steering wheel, the boat had to be towed into St Mary’s, in the Isles of Scilly.
Three months later, it was sold—complete with two lattice radio masts—to George and Jean Russell, residents of Guernsey. Along with friends and their children, they planned to take the trip of a lifetime in 1979 and set sail for Portugal. However, they encountered severe weather conditions and eventually ran aground on the beach at Espinho, Portugal.
The group faced serious legal issues with the Portuguese authorities and were forced to pay substantial taxes for allegedly importing goods illegally. After being detained in the country for 18 weeks, they eventually left—illegally.
The ship remained beached at Espinho for eight years, embedded in the sand and gradually plundered by locals.
(With grateful thanks to Paul Rusling and his Radio Caroline Bible)
