AH-WR-2047

Flare

Bulk Carrier · Lost 1998 · The Gulf of St Lawrence

The bulk carrier Flare broke in two west of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on January 16, 1998; 21 of her 25 crew died.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

The Cypriot-registered bulk carrier Flare was bound from Rotterdam to Quebec when she broke in two in severe weather about 20 miles west of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on January 16, 1998. Her crew got off only a truncated 20-second distress call. Men on the stern, its propeller still turning, saw a ship's bow approach — their own severed bow. The stern sank within 30 minutes; 21 of 25 crew died. A Canadian Forces Labrador helicopter rescued four hypothermic survivors.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Diesel
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: January 16, 1998
Cause: Storm
Location: About 20 nautical miles west of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Rotterdam, Netherlands → Quebec
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 21
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Region: The Gulf of St Lawrence

No pin: no surveyed wreck position in the sources used.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)

Based on a published secondary account; original records were not independently inspected.

Wikipedia — MV Flare
Article narrative of construction, voyage and loss (secondary summary of cited books and newspapers).
Transportation Safety Board of Canada — Marine Investigation Report M98N0001
Official investigation: broke in two Jan 16, 1998 southwest of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon; 21 died, 4 survived.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada — Report M98N0001
Official investigation of the break-up and sinking in Cabot Strait on 16 January 1998; 21 died, 4 survived.