The Coast of Newfoundland
by Clarence Vautier

“Explosion on the Annie Riles”

Every summer on the southwest coast of Newfoundland, the fishermen would prepare their boats to follow the inshore cod as they moved to shallower water. The men often found themselves fishing from ports off the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, as they followed the normal migratory pattern of groundfish.

The southern shore of Newfoundland, around Cape Pine, was one of the best places to catch groundfish in the summer and fall. Fishermen from the communities of Isle aux Morts, Burnt Islands, Rose Blanche, Harbour le Cou, West Point, and Francois would often go there to fish. The port of Trepassey would be home for the men from July to October.

The summer of 1959 was a typical one for the fishermen in this area. Some of the boats making up the fleet that year were the Loretta Marion, Buddy & Blair, FLB 101, John H. Douglas, Miss Margo, Ethel Best, Three Sisters, and the Annie Riles.

The Annie Riles was a fifty-foot skiff built in 1949 in North Bay, La Poile. In 1957, the vessel was modified: the gas engine from the centre was removed and a diesel engine was installed in its place; a wheelhouse was constructed back aft; and her bowsprit was removed. Edward Riles was in command. The remaining crew during the 1959 season consisted of Edward’s son Gilbert, Walter Stone, Cecil Stone (all from West Point) and Walter Vautier and Clifford Chant from La Poile.

In early morning September 1, 1959, the Annie Riles, along with the remaining fleet, departed the port of Trepassey for the fishing grounds off Mistaken Point. Edward Riles was in the wheelhouse back aft, and the remaining crew were in the forecastle up forward. As the vessel was leaving Trepassey Harbour, a loud explosion occurred in the engine room, rocking the vessel and engulfing her in flames. Within seconds all of the crew were on deck hoping to contain the fire, but it was too late. Edward Riles knew the fire would quickly spread throughout the vessel and feared another explosion from the barrels of gas and diesel that were stored on deck. With this in mind, he immediately ordered the crew to lower the dories and abandon ship.

The crew quickly responded, and in a short time all were safely aboard the dories and rowing away from the burning ship. Not long after abandoning the vessel, the men were rescued by another fishing boat, the Three Sisters, under the command of Ernest Green. Once safely on board, the crew watched in despair as the Annie Riles was totally destroyed by fire, down to the waterline. The men arrived back in Trepassey at 5:00 a.m., and there they stayed on board the Loretta Marion until later that morning.

After daybreak, Captain Hardy—who was normally in command of the Loretta Marion but did not go out on the fishing grounds this season due to illness—took the crew back to where the explosion occurred. All they found was the “underwater” portion of the boat, washed ashore on a beach in Black Duck Cove. The crew returned to port, and the next morning they were taken by taxi to St. John’s. From there they returned to Port aux Basques by train. Despite their ordeal, all of the crew continued to work in the fishing industry.