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''Mi Amigo'' (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''My Friend'') was originally a three-masted cargo schooner, that later gained international recognition as an offshore radio station. She was built as the
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
''Margarethe'' for German owners. A sale in 1927 saw her renamed ''Olga'' and she was lengthened in 1936. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, she was requisitioned by the
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
and served as an auxiliary ship between 1941 and 1943. In 1953, the ship was again lengthened to . In 1959, she was sold for conversion to a floating radio station and was renamed ''Bon Jour''. Subsequently, she was renamed ''Magda Maria'' in 1961 and ''Mi Amigo'' in 1962. She served, intermittently, as a radio ship, until 1980, when she sank in a gale.


History


''Margarethe''

The ship was built as a three-masted auxiliary
schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
SS ''Margarethe'' by
Deutsche Werke Deutsche Werke Kiel AG was a German shipbuilding company that was founded in 1925 when Kaiserliche Werft Kiel and other shipyards were merged. It came as a result of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I that forced the German defense indust ...
,
Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 1921, for Ernst Simon A.G. As constructed she was long, with a beam of and a depth of . She was assessed at , . Her port of registry was
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Germany. Simon sailed the boat around various Baltic ports carrying general cargo. She was sold to Heinrich Koppelmann in 1927.


''Olga''

Koppelmann renamed her ''Olga'' after his wife. In 1928, she was strengthened and a four-cylinder engine installed. The engine was built by Motorenfabriek Deutz AG., Köln. It had four cylinders of diameter by stroke. The tonnage increased to , . One of her wooden masts was replaced by a steel mast. ''Olga'' had
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
as her port of registry. She was allocated the
Code Letters Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of ...
RBGF. In 1936, ''Olga'' was lengthened and a new Klockner-Humboldt diesel engine fitted. It had six cylinders of diameter by stroke) (82.1 L or 5,011
cubic inch The cubic inch (symbol in3) is a unit of volume in the Imperial units and United States customary units systems. It is the volume of a cube with each of its three dimensions (length, width, and height) being one inch long which is equivalent ...
es), and the length of the boat was increased to , by adding a new centre section. On 5 June 1941, ''Olga'' was requisitioned by the
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
. She served as an auxiliary ship based at Putlos. On 18 November 1943, ''Olga'' was decommissioned and then refitted before being returned to her owner. She appears to have been de-rigged at this time, as shown by contemporary photographs. As Heinrich Koppelmann had died, ownership passed to his widow. In 1951, Olga was again lengthened. She was sold in 1959, her new owners planned to convert her into a floating radio station. The work was carried out by , Hamburg, ''Olga'' arrived at Norderwerft's shipyard on 31 May 1960. Her cargo hold was converted into studios. It was originally planned to install two
radio mast Radio masts and towers are typically tall structures designed to support antenna (radio), antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two main types: guyed and self-supporting structures. They are among the ...
s, but only one was installed. The ship was renamed ''Bon Jour'' about this time and she was reflagged to
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
.


''Bon Jour''

On 10 August 1960, Norderwerft received a letter informing them that it was illegal to install, repair or operate a radio station without government permission, under a law passed in 1930. ''Bon Jour'' was then sailed to
Langelinie Langelinie ( English: Long Line) is a pier, promenade and park in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and home of ''The Little Mermaid'' statue. The area has for centuries been a popular destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen. Most cruise ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
where the mast was installed as were two 10 kW transmitters which were manufactured by
Continental Electronics Continental Electronics is an American manufacturer of broadcast and military radio transmitters, based in Dallas, Texas. Although Continental today is best known for its FM, shortwave, and military VLF transmitters, Continental is most signific ...
,
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. The transmitters were flown in from the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
as components and assembled in Copenhagen. On 20 December 1960, ''Bon Jour'' departed Copenhagen bound for
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. During the voyage, some of the mast stays worked loose and the ship was anchored off
Gotska Sandön Gotska Sandön (literally translated as "The Gotlandic Sand Island") is an uninhabited Swedish island north of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. It has been a national park since 1909. Geography Sandön is situated north of Fårö in the Baltic Se ...
whilst the mast was made secure. On 23 December, ''Bon Jour'' ran into a storm. The fishing vessel ''Danette'' located her the next day and on 25 December the crew abandoned ''Bon Jour'' as they feared the mast would collapse. They were taken to
Sandhamn Sandhamn (Swedish language, Swedish for "Sand Harbour") is a small settlement in the central-peripheral part of the Stockholm Archipelago at the 59th parallel northnord59.se in central-eastern Sweden. approximately 50 km (30 mi) east of ...
by
pilot boat A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship ...
. On 26 December, the
salvage tug A salvage tug, also known historically as a wrecking tug, is a specialized type of tugboat that is used to rescue ships that are in distress or in danger of sinking, or to salvage ships that have already sunk or run aground. Overview Few tugbo ...
''Neptune'' took the crew back to ''Bon Jour''. The next day, ''Neptune'' towed ''Bon Jour'' to Sandhamn. It was suggested that the ship should be taken to
Lidingö Lidingö (), also known in its definite form Lidingön and as Lidingölandet, is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, northeast of Stockholm, Sweden. In 2023, the population of the Lidingö urban area on the island was 48,162. It is the ...
for repairs, but on arrival there it was discovered that the shipyard had closed six months previously. Repairs were carried out by the
Crichton-Vulcan Crichton-Vulcan is an abandoned shipyard in Turku, Finland, that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry. The shipyard is best known for the World War II coastal defence ships and submarines it produced. Shipbuildi ...
shipyard,
Turku Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. The work had to be done offshore as the Finnish government applied pressure on Crichton-Vulcan not to fulfil the job. Repairs were completed on 4 February 1961 and the ship sailed for
Ornö Ornö is the largest island in the southern half of the Stockholm archipelago, situated just north of the island of Utö. It belongs to the municipality of Haninge. The island is approx. 15 km long and 3–4 km wide. The primary connec ...
, Sweden, where she arrived on 6 February. That day, a storm blew up, and a loud crack was heard from the mast. Repairs to the insulators were made the next day at the Finnboda shipyard. On 21 February, ''Bon Jour'' sailed for her anchorage and began broadcasting as
Radio Nord Radio Nord was a Swedish offshore commercial station that operated briefly from 8 March 1961 to 30 June 1962 from a ship anchored in international waters of the Baltic Sea off Stockholm, Sweden. While the station was dubbed as a pirate radio s ...
. She was forced to return to Finnboda for further repair work after a few days. ''Bon Jour'' returned to her anchorage on 1 March, but the following day the Swedish government passed a law enabling the confiscation of broadcasting equipment from any ship operating in Swedish waters. They also applied pressure on the Nicaraguan government to withdraw the ships' registration. On 8 March 1961, ''Bon Jour'' started broadcasting as
Radio Nord Radio Nord was a Swedish offshore commercial station that operated briefly from 8 March 1961 to 30 June 1962 from a ship anchored in international waters of the Baltic Sea off Stockholm, Sweden. While the station was dubbed as a pirate radio s ...
from , in international waters off Stockholm. The programmes on Radio Nord were mostly pre-recorded. As well as supply by tender from
Nynäshamn Nynäshamn is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Nynäshamn Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 13,510 inhabitants in 2010. While interest in the area as a potentially useful port grew from the mid-19th century, it was only ...
, programme tapes and other material were got to the ship packing them in a canister which was dropped astern of ''Bon Jour'' by a light aircraft. Only one canister failed to reach the ship.


''Magda Maria''

''Bon Jour'' was reflagged to
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
and renamed ''Magda Maria''. On 6 December 1961, the ship was caught in a severe storm and almost foundered. The next day, she put into Sandhamn for repairs which included a broken mast stay. Her broadcasting equipment was not confiscated as it was recognised that putting into port was an emergency situation. On 8 March, ''Bon Jour'' returned to her anchorage. Radio Nord ceased broadcasting on 30 June 1962. On 4 July 1962, ''Magda Maria'' sailed for Ferrol,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
where she was to undergo a refit, arriving on 2 August. Radio Nord was closed by the Swedish authorities and the ship was put up for sale. A law had been passed prohibiting Swedes from supplying offshore radio ships with stores, or from providing advertising services to the stations. This law was said to have been brought in to discourage
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
ships from anchoring off the Swedish coast. A similar law was passed simultaneously by
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
; both came into effect on 1 August 1962. Danish station
Radio Mercur Radio Mercur was a Danish offshore broadcasting commercial radio station. It started regular transmission on 2 August 1958 and ceased officially on 31 July 1962, followed by 3 days of transmissions from 13 to 15 August 1962. Later broadcasting ...
closed on July 31; having closed one month earlier, Radio Nord has the distinction of being the first offshore pirate to be closed as a result of government legislation.


''Mi Amigo''


1962–1968

''Magda Maria'' was yet again renamed to ''Mi Amigo''. She departed Ferrol on 14 September 1962 bound for the
Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salinit ...
, where she made some test broadcasts as Radio LN on 306 metres. ''Mi Amigo'' sailed to
Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, then to
Vlissingen Vlissingen (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an importan ...
,
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
where she arrived on 11 January 1963. She departed Vlissingen on 15 January and was next reported as putting into
Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...
on 19 January for repairs to her steering gear. On 26 January, ''Mi Amigo'' departed Brest for
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
where her American owners intended to convert her to a luxury
yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
. She arrived on 4 March. It is reported that ''Mi Amigo'' broadcast for a short time whilst anchored off Galveston. Her studios were gutted and she was stripped of her broadcasting equipment in preparation for conversion to a yacht. A proposed purchase by Project Atlanta Ltd, headed b
Allan Crawford
was stalled due to the closure of
Radio Mercur Radio Mercur was a Danish offshore broadcasting commercial radio station. It started regular transmission on 2 August 1958 and ceased officially on 31 July 1962, followed by 3 days of transmissions from 13 to 15 August 1962. Later broadcasting ...
, with financial backers reluctant to invest. It took until December 1963 before Crawford could raise the necessary finance. ''Mi Amigo'' departed Galveston on 28 December bound for
Las Palmas Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the m ...
, Spain where she arrived on 30 January 1964. On 5 February, she docked at Ferrol for repairs to be undertaken, including work aimed at improving her stability. ''Mi Amigo'' departed Ferrol on 15 February, bound for Corunna, where she arrived on 28 February. She departed Corunna on 3 March, bound for
Greenore Greenore () is a village, townland and deep water port on Carlingford Lough in County Louth, Ireland. History A lighthouse was built on Greenore Point in 1830. Several decades later, the Dundalk and Greenore Railway Act 1863 authorised the ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
where a new radio mast was to be fitted. Late delivery of the mast meant that she did not depart Greenore for the Thames Estuary until 28 March. On 21 April 1964, the ship was caught in a gale off
Land's End Land's End ( or ''Pedn an Wlas'') is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in western Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the Penwith peninsula about west-south-west of Penzance at the western end of the A30 road. To the east of it is ...
and the mast was damaged. The ship was anchored off Falmouth whilst repairs were carried out by riggers from
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. ''Mi Amigo'' arrived off
Frinton-on-Sea Frinton-on-Sea is a seaside town and (as just Frinton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district of Essex, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 4,837. History The place-name 'Fri ...
on 27 April and began broadcasting as
Radio Atlanta Radio Atlanta was an offshore commercial station that operated briefly from 12 May 1964 to 2 July 1964 from a ship anchored in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England. The radio broadcasting vessel was owned, at th ...
. Her crew were transported to the ship by the British motor barge ''Peterna'' on 9 May. Broadcasts from ''Mi Amigo'' led to complaints from the
General Post Office The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Established in England in the 17th century, the GPO was a state monopoly covering the dispatch of items from a specific ...
that communications were being affected. As a result, Panama withdrew the ship's registration on 7 May. On 2 July, Radio Atlanta merged with
Radio Caroline Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Allan Crawford, initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopol ...
, with ''Mi Amigo'' broadcasting as ''Radio Caroline South''. A new anchorage in the Thames Estuary was tried for a few days from 2 November but was unsuitable as it was too rough. ''Mi Amigo'' returned to her former position off Frinton. On 20 January 1966, a force 8 gale blew up and ''Mi Amigo'' anchors broke and the ship started to drift. This went unnoticed by the crew, who were watching a programme about the singer-songwriter
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
, broadcasting having ended. The final song played that night had been '' Eve of Destruction'' by
Barry McGuire Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit " Eve of Destruction". He was later a singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Early life McGuire was born in Oklahoma City; ...
.
Dave Lee Travis David Patrick Griffin (born 25 May 1945), known professionally as Dave Lee Travis, is an English disc jockey and television presenter. He currently presents a Sunday programme between 10 am and 12 noon on ''Heritage Chart Radio''. Travis began ...
went aloft to adjust the TV aerial and noticed that the ship was close to shore. He was also unable to see the Radio London ship ''Galaxy''.
Walton-on-the-Naze Walton-on-the-Naze is a seaside town on the North Sea coast. It is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring District, Tendring district in Essex, England. The town is located north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich; ...
Coastguards were unable to raise the crew, and the tender ''Offshore One'' was sent to her aid. One of the methods of alerting the crew tried was an item on the television news. This was missed by the crew who had turned the television off as they had lost the signal due to the ship moving from its normal position. ''Mi Amigo'' was driven ashore at
Frinton-on-Sea Frinton-on-Sea is a seaside town and (as just Frinton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district of Essex, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 4,837. History The place-name 'Fri ...
,
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
and the crew were rescued by
Breeches buoy A breeches buoy is a rope-based rescue device used to extract people from wrecked vessels, or to transfer people from one place to another in situations of danger. The device resembles a round emergency personal flotation device with a leg harne ...
. The crew, who included DJs
Tony Blackburn Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and television presenter, whose career spans over 60 years. Blackburn first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio Londo ...
, Tom Lodge and Graham Webb were taken to Walton-on-the-Naze police station where they were informed that they were classed as "shipwrecked and distressed mariners" and were entitled to free replacement clothing. A shopkeeper was persuaded to open up early so that the crew could be clothed, and accommodation was arranged in a hotel for the crew. Attempts by the
tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...
''Titan'' to refloat her were unsuccessful. On 21 January, the captain of ''Mi Amigo'' managed to refloat her by kedging. The hull was inspected before ''Mi Amigo'' departed for
Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad and received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan ...
, Netherlands with ''Titan'' in attendance. Repairs were carried out by the Zaanlandse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij. During this period, Radio Caroline South was broadcast from , which was available for sale as
Radio Syd Radio Syd ("Radio South") was a Swedish pirate radio station. It began life as ''Skånes Radio Mercur'', the first "pirate radio" in Sweden, and started to broadcast in December 1958. History The station was started by a young Swede, Nils-Er ...
had been closed down by the Swedish authorities. Repairs were completed on 5 April and ''Mi Amigo'' resumed broadcasting on 16 April. The next day, Radio Caroline was off the air as there had been a
short circuit A short circuit (sometimes abbreviated to short or s/c) is an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance. This results in an excessive current flowing through the circuit ...
in the aerial. There was a gale at the time which prevented the tender from bringing engineers to ''Mi Amigo''. The bored DJs, including Tony Blackburn,
Tony Prince Tony Prince (born Thomas Whitehead; 9 May 1944) is a British radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). ...
and Norman St. John managed to fix the fault themselves and the station was soon back on air. ''Cheeta II'' served as a relay station between 27 April and 1 May 1966. On 15 August 1967, the
Marine Broadcasting Offences Act 1967 The Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 (c. 41), shortened to Marine Broadcasting Offences Act or Marine Offences Act, became law in the United Kingdom at midnight on Monday 14 August 1967. It was subsequently amended by the Wirel ...
became law. The four DJs on board ''Mi Amigo'' at that time were Ross Brown,
Robbie Dale Robbie Robinson (21 April 1940 – 31 August 2021), better known by the name Robbie Dale and nicknamed The Admiral, was a British radio disc jockey who was the chief DJ of Radio Caroline during the 1960s. Pirate radio Dale was born in Littleb ...
,
Spangles Muldoon Spangles Muldoon (5 October 1946 – 29 February 2008), real name Chris Cary, was a radio broadcaster best known for his work on British offshore radio stations, Radio Caroline and Radio North Sea International. He died in February 2008 aged 61, ...
and
Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's ...
. On 3 March 1968, ''Titan'' pulled alongside ''Mi Amigo'' and Radio Caroline was ordered to close down. The crew were locked in the ship's lounge. The Offshore Supply Company seized ''Mi Amigo'' and as security for £30,000 they were owed. Both ships were towed to
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. It was planned to use the as a replacement for ''Mi Amigo'', but the story was leaked by newspapers and the ships owners were told that they would be summonsed if the ship was used to broadcast
pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...
.


1972–1980

On 29 May 1972, ''Mi Amigo'' was sold at
auction An auction is usually a process of Trade, buying and selling Good (economics), goods or Service (economics), services by offering them up for Bidding, bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from th ...
for Æ’20,000 to the Hofman Shipping Company, who had bought her on behalf of Rob Vermaat and
Gerard van Dam Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this cas ...
. Although it was assumed that ''Mi Amigo'' would be scrapped, the Dutch ''Free Radio Organisation'' announced that she was to become a Free Radio Museum. The studios and cabins were restored and ''Mi Amigo'' departed Amsterdam on 2 September apparently bound for
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The next day, she anchored off Scheveningen. During October and November, test transmissions were made which consisted only of playing music and no station identification was given. On 9 November, Spangles Muldoon spoke live on air. A force 11 storm on 13 November resulted in ''Mi Amigo'' losing her anchor and the mast collapsing. A makeshift aerial was erected on 30 November. Broadcasting began on 1 December, still without the DJs giving their name or using a station name. On 17 December, the name Radio 199 was used. From 22 December, the name
Radio Caroline Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Allan Crawford, initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopol ...
was used. On 28 December, some of the DJs refused to work any more as they had not been paid. The next day, came alongside ''Mi Amigo'' accompanied by the tender ''Zeemeeuw'', which the striking DJs boarded. The dispute was settled and Radio Caroline resumed broadcasting. On 30 December, ''Mi Amigo'' was towed to
IJmuiden n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. > IJmuiden () is a port town in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality of Velsen which lies mainly to the south-ea ...
by the tender ''Euro Trip''. Permission to enter port was initially refused as ''Mi Amigo'' had no papers. Assurances were given that port fees would be paid, and ''Mi Amigo'' was allowed to dock in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. Officers from the Dutch ''Radio Controle Dienst'' boarded the ship, but her transmitting equipment was not confiscated as it was incomplete. Members of the ''Scheepvaartinspectie'' declared that the MV ''Mi Amigo'' was unseaworthy and ordered repairs to be made. At court in
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...
, an injunction was granted to the captain of ''Mi Amigo'' and the ship was impounded. On 1 January 1973, two tugs towed ''Mi Amigo'' to IJmuiden where the ''Scheepvaartinspectie'' ordered that a leak in the engine room was repaired, giving the crew just two hours to complete the task. Early the next day, outstanding monies were paid, and ''Mi Amigo'' was allowed to sail. On 18 January 1973, a
mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...
was broadcast by ''Mi Amigo'' at 23:50 because of a fire in the engine room. The fire was extinguished within ten minutes. On 2 April,
Radio Veronica Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and was on air for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands, to stimulate the sales of ra ...
's ship ran aground off
Scheveningen Scheveningen () is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict () of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular ...
, Netherlands during a force 12 hurricane. ''Mi Amigo'' then broadcast for Radio Veronica as well as for Caroline, with two new studios being built for the purpose. The money earned from this paid for a new radio mast. Between July and October Radio Atlantis bought airtime on the ship to broadcast pre-recorded daytime programmes. On 1 October, the new mast collapsed. A makeshift aerial was erected and the ship resumed transmission on 4 October, but ceased transmission on 18 October when the mast failed. A new mast was completed by 24 December. On December 28, was first broadcast from ''Mi Amigo'', replacing Radio Atlantis which had acquired its own ship, the ''MV Jeanine''. Radio Mi Amigo formally opened on 1 January 1974. From 7 January, Radio Seagull was broadcast, the name changing to Radio Caroline on 23 February. On 29 August 1974, ''Mi Amigo'' was towed across the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
by the . She was anchored
near NEAR or Near may refer to: People * Thomas J. Near, US evolutionary ichthyologist * Near, a developer who created the higan emulator Science, mathematics, technology, biology, and medicine * National Emergency Alarm Repeater (NEAR), a form ...
the Kentish Knock Lightship, some off the Essex coast on 30 August. This move was timed to coincide with the passage of the Dutch Marine Offences Act on September 1, 1974. At 16:30 on 8 November 1975, ''Mi Amigo'' anchor chain broke and the ship began to drift, running aground on the Longsand Head Sands. She was refloated at 19:55 but continued to drift and entered United Kingdom territorial waters at 22:03. The Coastguard was flooded with calls from listeners to Radio Caroline. The engine on ''Mi Amigo'' failed about this time. On 9 November, the ship was anchored near to the South Edinburgh Number 2 buoy. Her position was confirmed by the lighthouse tender ''Mermaid'' but she was declared to be a danger to shipping at that position. On 13 November, ''Mi Amigo'' was towed to the South Edinburgh Number 3 buoy, from where she recommenced broadcasting. The following day, ''Mi Amigo'' was boarded by
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
and
Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
officials who ordered that broadcasting be stopped. On 17 November, coastguards at
North Foreland North Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England, specifically in Broadstairs. With the rest of Broadstairs and part of Ramsgate it is the eastern side of Kent's largest peninsula, the Isle of Thanet. It presents a b ...
were contacted and told that the ship had lost her main anchor. The
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
Lifeboat was sent to her aid and took off two crew. ''Mi Amigo'' captain was told that no tug was available to assist her. He refused an offer to return to shore. The two crew members were landed at
Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in eastern Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2021 it had a population of 42,027. Ramsgate' ...
as conditions were too rough to land them at Margate. On 23 November, ''Mi Amigo'' was anchored at , some off Margate. On 10 September 1976, one studio was put out of action when a
porthole A porthole, sometimes called bull's-eye window or bull's-eye, is a generally circular window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Though the term is of maritime origin, it is also used to describe round windows on armored vehic ...
was broken by a wave, flooding the studio. At 20:30 the anchor chain broke in a force 9 gale. Lifeboats and
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
s based at
RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpor ...
were placed on standby. At 02:30 on 11 September, ''Mi Amigo'' ran aground on a sandbank and was holed in two places. Broadcasting ceased as the ship was deep in water in places. The Dutch crew members were taken off the ship and landed at Ostend. Whilst there, they searched an impounded
oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk cargo, bulk transport of petroleum, oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quant ...
and found an anchor and chain, which they appropriated for use on ''Mi Amigo''. The ship was towed clear of the sandbank on 16 September. In the spring of 1977 two Dutch DJs of Radio Mi AmigoFerry Eden and Marc Jacobs went on strike protesting against the bad and dangerous condition the ship was in, and ridiculed by the staff ashore in Spain, left the ship. Although nothing had been done to improve the ship's safety and seaworthiness, both DJs returned to the ship in October 1977, resuming their shows. During the winter of 1977/1978 due to the project running out of financial assets the crew didn't get any cargo aboard for three weeks, no food and water nor any technical spare parts and fuel. On 20 October 1978 the generator failed, a regular event, but this time couldn't be restarted. The pumps failed and sea water caused the ship to list heavily. The crew including the captain left the ship by lifeboat. A few weeks later radio and self-taught board technician Peter Chicago returned by rubber boat attempting to repair the ship's machinery, getting the ship afloat and getting the generator and radio equipment working again, in which he achieved. Although most of the crew and the captain returned most of the DJs didn't. Sylvain Tack, the Flemish business man behind Radio Mi Amigo Internationaal, had lost interest in his project and had put the ship (of which he operated Radio Mi Amigo, but of which he lacked any ownership), the radio equipment and the project's assets in Spain on sale. The ship was regarded as an unseaworthy wreck and in fact wasn't on sale at all, alike the radio equipment, hence Ronan O'Rahilly decided to show up again as the station's operational manager and went looking for new investors to a renewed offshore radio project Caroline. An offer by
Gerard van Dam Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this cas ...
to run a renewed
Radio Delmare Radio Delmare was a Dutch offshore pirate radio station that operated from 1978 to 1979. The project, led by Gerard van Dam, aimed to revive offshore broadcasting after the shutdown of Radio Veronica and Radio North Sea International. The team ...
(which had lost her ship MV ''Aegir'' in September 1978) from aboard the MV ''Mi Amigo'' was turned down as plans were to broadcast 24 hours a day, which would disable any Radio Caroline broadcasts. However, Van Dam offered spare parts from the scrapped MV ''Aegir'', including a badly needed second generator and radio transmitter spare parts. On 18 January 1979, ''Mi Amigo'' sprang a leak. A mayday was issued on 19 January which was received by the Thames Coastguard. Three vessels went to the aid of ''Mi Amigo'', the ''May Crest'', ''Sand Serin'' and ''Cambrai''. The ship was abandoned, but later boarded and salvaged. While the newly attracted Radio Mi Amigo project investors leased the MV ''Magdalena'' ship anchored in January 1979 at the Dutch coast, without new investors O'Rahilly decided that Radio Caroline should return with a new format, broadcasting the usual AOR format at night while at daytime aiming a Dutch-languaged family radio/top 40 format aiming at the Netherlands and Flanders, like Radio Mi Amigo did before. On 15 April 1979 the bi-lingually organized 24-hour-a-day broadcasts resumed. The Dutch service had assembled a completely new team of DJs, which became known as the Golden Team. After their Mi Amigo employment their radio innovations reshaped the Dutch media landscape.


Sinking

On 19 March 1980, ''Mi Amigo'' anchor chain broke in a force 10 storm. She drifted for before running aground on the Longsands Bank. At 23:58, the final broadcast was made by DJs Stevie Gordon and Tom Anderson. The
Sheerness Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...
Lifeboat attended ''Mi Amigo'' and took off the crew. The ship sank on 20 March at leaving only the mast above the water. On 22 May, Thanet District Council announced plans to refloat ''Mi Amigo'' and turn her into a
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
at Ramsgate, but the ship remained as a wreck. The mast collapsed at the end of July 1986, a fact which was reported by
Trinity House The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond, also known as Trinity House (and formally as The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St Clement in the ...
on 2 August. It was announced on 13 September that the position of the wreck of ''Mi Amigo'' (51°35'00.0"N 1°17'20.0"E) was to be marked by a buoy. ''Mi Amigo'' lies in of water.


Broadcasting history

The following radio stations were broadcast from the ship. Short periods of interruption due to technical problems and strandings are disregarded; not, however, those due to being entered and towed, and docking.


References


External links


Gallery of images showing ''Mi Amigo'' in 1979Radio Mi Amigo with the original commercials and jingles
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