The 30m-long shark fishing boat Florence (a cutter) was completely wrecked at Point Drummond on SA’s Eyre Peninsula on 16th July 1961. A large breaker struck the boat, turning it over and splitting the hull down its length, and completely breaking the vessel up. Wreckage from the boat was scattered over a large area. Only the skipper out of the crew of three survived the wrecking.
Garry Keywood has provided me with the following account of the wrecking (according to the Port Lincoln Times newspaper of 20th July 1961): –
According to the Historical account of the loss of the Florence, “At about 1.30am on Sunday 16th July, while just off Point Drummond, north of Coffin Bay, the vessel encountered rough seas and was overturned by a large wave that split the hull from stem to stern, littering the beach with the wheelhouse and other shattered remains. Half of the hull remained floating about one mile from shore and then drifted away to the south.”
My thanks go to Garry Keywood for sending me the above details.