The FV Andrea Gail was a 72-foot (22-meter) commercial fishing vessel constructed in Panama City, Florida, in 1978. Owned by Robert Brown, the vessel was based out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, a prominent fishing port. Designed for North Atlantic fishing operations, Andrea Gail was equipped to support deep-sea commercial fishing activities, primarily targeting cod and other fish species in the cold waters off Newfoundland and the Flemish Cap. During her operational life, Andrea Gail was a typical mid-sized fishing boat, capable of enduring the demanding conditions of the North Atlantic. Her construction and equipment reflected her purpose: robust enough to face rough seas but limited by the technology of her time. She regularly sailed from Gloucester, where her crew would offload their catch and resupply for subsequent trips. Andrea Gail’s final voyage began on September 20, 1991, when she departed Gloucester Harbor heading toward the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. After experiencing poor fishing results, her captain, Frank W. "Billy" Tyne Jr., redirected the vessel eastward to the Flemish Cap in hopes of better catches. Despite weather warnings indicating dangerous conditions, the crew pressed on, with Tyne planning to return home around October 26–27. During this trip, the vessel’s ice machine malfunctioned, threatening their ability to preserve their catch. On October 28, 1991, Andrea Gail radioed her last position—about 162 miles east of Sable Island—reporting seas of 30 feet and wind gusts up to 80 knots. Her final words included a grim acknowledgment of the storm's strength. The storm produced waves up to 100 feet according to Sebastian Junger’s report, with buoy measurements confirming wave heights exceeding 60 feet in the area. The vessel was reported overdue on October 30, prompting a large-scale search involving multiple U.S. and Canadian agencies covering over 186,000 square nautical miles. On November 6, 1991, her emergency beacon was found washed ashore on Sable Island, but despite extensive efforts, no bodies or debris from Andrea Gail were recovered. The vessel’s loss, along with her six crew members, became a symbol of the peril faced by commercial fishermen and was famously chronicled in Sebastian Junger’s book "The Perfect Storm" and its subsequent film adaptation.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.