On the fourth of December 1991, the Bolama sailed out of the Docapesca in Lisbon at around 11:00 AM with 30 men onboard, including its owner José Esteves, to go out to sea to an area about halfway between Cascais and Cape Espichel, just 15 km from Lisbon.

The purpose of this short voyage was to test the new trawling system that had just been installed at the private pier of “Atlântica”, a company of the Salvador Caetano Group, to which the ship’s proprietor “Crustacil” also belonged to.

Two hours later, at around 1:00 PM, the ship vanished without a trace, and all attempts to contact it went unanswered.

Frenetic attempts to locate the Bolama continued through the days and weeks following its disappearance. The search involved several Navy and Maritime Authority ships and small craft. Air Force planes scoured the coast in reconnaissance missions, and fishing boats from Cascais examined the surface waters of the area where the ship was supposed to be heading, looking for any floating debris that could be associated with the Bolama. Absolutely nothing was found, not even a lifebuoy, a life raft, a lifejacket or a wooden pallet.

A few days after the disappearance, a Russian woman, allegedly Gorbachev’s personal psychic, “located the ship through the stars” sailing on the waters of the Cape Verde archipelago. The search was then extended south with a Navy frigate, an air force plane and even a plane from the Cape Verde commercial airline, but once again the search was fruitless.

Two months later, following the recovery of some bodies from the sea near Cape Espichel, a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) from the Hydrographic Institute, equipped with sonar and photo and video cameras, finally located and filmed the ship, sunken at a depth of 122 meters, on the bearing of the south bar entrance to the port of Lisbon.

A Maritime Mystery

Until today, the Maritime and Judicial authorities have failed to identify the causes of the sinking. Meanwhile, media commentary and public opinion resulted in a “perfect storm” of hypotheses for the tragedy. Sabotage by the Mossad, assuming the ship was carrying enriched uranium to Gaddafi’s Libya; smuggling of munitions to the ongoing conflict in the Balkans; arms for the rebels fighting for independence of the region of Casamanse from Senegal, or even that a Portuguese navy submarine had collided with the Bolama or become entangled in its nets.

Almost 33 years since the horrific unexplained loss of all 30 souls on board the Bolama, this tragic incident has been nearly forgotten, except, of course, by the families of the victims. But the question of what actually happened on that fateful afternoon still weighs on the minds of many, including those best placed to solve the mystery, due to their technical knowledge and experience of maritime matters.

Why and how did the Bolama vanish so suddenly, sinking like a stone in view of the coast, on a day of clear weather and calm sea, taking with it all on board, most of whom were experienced fishermen, along with a captain recognized by his peers for his skills and competence?

“BOLAMA – Tragédia Anunciada”

It is this question that Paulo Sa, a retired naval officer, graduate of the Portuguese Naval Academy, MSc in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), attempts to answer in his recently published book “BOLAMA – Tragédia Anunciada” (Lisbon Press, ISBN 9789893775769), presented to the public on the 2nd of May of this year at the “Academia de Marinha”, a naval cultural institution.

Paulo Sa, who was closely involved in the investigation of the tragedy, debunks the rumors and conspiracy theories still surrounding the case, providing compelling technical evidence for what may be the true causes of the Bolama sinking.

“BOLAMA – Tragédia Anunciada” was published by Atlantic Books simultaneously in Portugal and Brazil, at the price of 15,00 Euros in Portugal, 47,90 Reais in Brazil, and 5,00 Euros for the e-book. It can be purchased in Lisbon at Livraria Martins - Av. Guerra Junqueiro, 18D, or online at Livrariaatlantico.com, Fnac.pt, Bertrand.pt and Wook.pt