5th January 1987

The Communicator was battered by  severe storms, resulting in the front mast partially collapsing and the rear mast bending in half, causing the aerial rigging to fall in a tangle on the deck.

22nd January 1987

Weak test transmissions started and continued for over a week with various breaks each day for maintenance

1st February 1987

Announcements were made about the station's imminent re-launch.

2nd February 1987

Laser Hot Hits began regular programmes again at 6.00am

February and March 1987

Many further breaks in transmissions due mainly to the bad weather causing arcing of the temporary aerial array and the transmitter shutting down.

26th March 1967

The station went off the air completely and it remained silent  while engineers tried to solve the aerial problem.

5th April 1987

Laser Hot Hits returned and  programmed fairly normally for two further weeks.

20th April 1987

At the end of transmissions reference was made to the lack of diesel fuel on board the Communicator  as well as a shortage of DJs. The station then closed for the day, but did not re-open as scheduled the following morning.

23rd May 1987

Although Laser Hot Hits was off the air at the time the Communicator moved from the Knock Deep to a position at Fairy Bank 20 miles off Dunkirk

** August 1987

The silent Communicator was moved again, first to a position seven miles from Harwich and eventually back to the original Knock Deep anchorage.

30th September 1987

The Communicator was moved from the Knock Deep to the southern part of Inner Gabbard, 20 miles off Felixstowe

10th October 1987

It became apparent that this exposed anchorage would be too rough for the vessel during the severe weather conditions likely to be experienced throughout the winter months, so the Communicator sailed to a more  sheltered position near Felixstowe, later moving back again to the Knock Deep, where she remained for some time.

31st October 1987

A test transmission was made from the Communicator using the call sign Radio Sunk

mid-November 1987

With only two crew on board and reports of more severe storms on the way it was decided to take the radio ship to a more sheltered anchorage at Shipwash, but after 24 hours she was again moored at the Cork Anchorage two miles off Felixstowe, waiting to enter Harwich.

3rd February 1988

The Communicator finally sailed into Harwich – she had lost her anchor in a storm and with only two crew members on board and a shortage of fuel the decision was made to enter port. The ship was almost immediately was declared unseaworthy by the authorities.