Dreams of a new life sailing the South Seas were shattered the 6 young ex-servicemen and an ex-war worker when they saw their ?000 trawler "present friend" sink to the bottom of the Helford River in Falmouth day. Some months ago the 6 men pooled their savings to purchase the boat and spent a further ?00 refitting her. They were making their way from Bristol to Littlehampton before setting off the Bristol and the South Seas when the ship sprang a leak of land's end. They made the Helford River and put the ship on the parts of the night. When they woke their bunks were awash and they had time only to scramble into the dinghy before the ship slid deeper and sank. 18 August 1947