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Grounded tall ship brings 'adventure' to Ramsey

Alex BlakeIsle of Man
News imageBBC Penny Bielich has fair short hair and is wearing a faded red cap with a diamond logo on it. She is smiling and wearing a red coat with a blue dog lead hanging around her neck. She is standing on the beach on a sunny day, with the tall ship beached in the background on the left and a tree-lined hilly coastline beyond. BBC
Penny Bielich said the ship was a "crazy" addition to the view

A tall ship that ran aground on Ramsey beach has been attracting droves of visitors.

The French brigantine ship, called La Malouine, is owned by Ramsey resident John Kerr, who inherited it from his father.

But the vessel broke free of its anchor in the early hours of Wednesday morning and drifted until it became stuck, and has been stranded on the shore ever since.

Dog walker Penny Bielich, who lives in Maughold, said it was a "crazy" addition to the view and that the ship was "gorgeous".

Since the news of the beached vessel on Wednesday, many have been visiting and stopping to take photos.

News imageA side-on view of a traditional tall ship sitting upright on a sand and rocky beach with the tide out, run aground. It is a gloriously sunny day with blue skies.
La Malouine was originally built as an ice-breaking tug boat in 1959

Mary and John Whelan, from Ramsey, said they made the walk down to see the ship, describing the experience as a "bit of an adventure", adding that it was unusual to see something like this in the town.

John Whelan said he had been surprised by how the situation unfolded, after seeing it anchored in the bay days earlier.

News imageJohn and Mary Whelan stand together on the sandy beach. John, on the left, has his arm around Mary. They're both wearing dark blue coats, each with a collection of poppy badges on. They're an older couple and are smiling, standing in front of the grounded tall ship in the background on the left, with a hilly tree-lined coastline behind it.
John and Mary Whelan went to see the ship as a "bit of an adventure"

For now, the grounded ship has become an impromptu attraction, with locals suggesting it could even become a temporary feature of the coastline.

Bielich said: "It's gorgeous… it makes a nice feature on the beach."

Sinead Fitzpatrick, visiting Ramsey from Douglas, said: "It's just something different and I just came for a look."

News imageSinead Fitzpatrick is wearing a bright pink zipped top and has brown hair tied up, and is smiling and wearing sunglasses. She's standing on a rocky part of a beach with a tall ship in the distance on the left, with a tree-lined hilly coastline beyond, on a sunny day with blue skies.
Sinead Fitzpatrick said the boat brought a bit of excitement to residents

But the temporary beach installation is to remain in situ for some weeks yet.

After not being able to refloat La Malouine on Wednesday evening, skipper John Kerr, said the next likely opportunity to do so, based upon predicted tides, would be 16 May.

News imageA front on view of the La Malouine grounded on a beach, with sand and rocks around it. It has a black hull with a white strip around it and tall masts with no sails. The tide is out and you can see a long iron pier in the distance, on a sunny day with blue skies and little cloud.
La Malouine ran aground in high winds in the early hours of Wednesday morning

While some expressed sympathy for those involved, others noted the unexpected attention the vessel has brought.

"It's a pity, I feel so sorry for them," Fitzpatrick said, but it was "a bit of excitement... for other people to come and see," she added.

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