Purbeck Isle, Weymouth

The whelk fishing boat Purbeck Isle sank nine miles south of Portland Bill, Dorset on 17 May 2012 killing all three crew. David McFarlane the skipper was 35 years old and had been fishing for nearly 20 years, Jack Craig was 21 and Robert Prowse was 20 years old.

Robert Prowse's body was never found and he is remembered with a bench dedicated by his family which overlooks Weymouth Harbour. The bench was donated by men at HMP The Verne on Portland who raised the money with a sponsored triathalon. 

Memorial bench to Robert Prowse

         

Weymouth Harbour

Despite their youth both Jack Craig and Robert Prowse had been fishing for years. Jack Craig trained at the Whitby and District Fishing Industry Training School and then worked on boats in Scotland and the Channel Islands before coming home to fish from Weymouth.  Robert Prowse had worked on several local fishing boats over the previous four years and wanted to work on board deep sea fishing vessels. 

Skipper David McFarlane is remembered by a portland stone bench on Portland itself by the Cove House Inn. 

  

David "Farley" McFarlane

The McFarlane family bench, Portland

View from Portland promenade