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The barque Vanadis left Darien, Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA on 13th January 1903 with a crew of 15 hands, bound for Fleetwood, with a cargo of pitch pine logs.
On the rough journey from the USA, the Vanadis was posted as overdue to Lloyds Register. It was finally spotted off Rathin Island, Northern Island and eventually reached Fleetwood at about 5pm on 22nd February. Pilot Iddon of Fleetwood boarded the vessel at Morecambe lightship and anchored her at Lune Deep near Wyre Point, with the sails furled.
In the gale force winds the windlass broke on the starboard side. The strain on the anchors caused the chains to be pulled out of hold, resulting in the two anchors and the cable being lost. They had a spare anchor but no cable.
Pilot Iddon advised the Master Karl Oskar Karlsson to head for the sandbanks at Heysham, as this was the safest part of Morecambe Bay ; it was thought that any other place would result in the loss of lives, cargo or boat. The boat arrived very quickly, high tide being at 8.07, to a position NNE of Heysham Pier at a location of 54.3N 2.54W. According to Pilot Iddon, the vessel had a quiet night with very little rolling. At 3 o’clock one of the Vanadis lifeboats was launched containing 5 crew and Pilot Iddon, and it reached the shore only 100 yards away without any difficulty. They walked to Higher Heysham post office arriving at about 4am. The captain and 9 crew remained on board the Vanadis as at that time there was no danger. They would have been able to walk off at low tide as the boat was lying level, however the gale increased in velocity with the rising tide and with the dawn, distress signals were raised.
The lifeboat station at Fleetwood fired the gun at 7.30am, the harbour authorities having received a telegram saying Pilot Iddon and 5 crew were safe. The crew of the lifeboat donned their oilskins and cork jackets, and launched the lifeboat Maude Pickup at 8am.
It was a very rough sea and Coxswain Leadbetter set sails and made for the Vanadis which was 12 miles away. The Vanadis was reached in under an hour and the 10 crew were taken on board the lifeboat.
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