Two such women who are feeling the effects of the New Nuts tragedy are Barbara Smith and Verona Outerbridge.

On January 26 it will be ten years to the day since the two women received the news that their sons, brothers Randolph and Jeffrey Outerbridge and good friend George Minks, were missing.

The three men had ventured out on a 20-foot red and white Cutty Cabin pleasure boat named Simply Red owned by Randolph Outerbridge. They never returned.

A passing ship spotted the empty, overturned Simply Red 50 miles east of the Island on February 11, two weeks after the trio went missing. It appeared as though Simply Red ran out of fuel and the men were unable to anchor the boat in extremely deep water.

It was assumed that the boat had taken on large amounts of water during gale force conditions, and capsized. Randolph, Jeffrey, and George were never found.

"Right now it's kind of difficult because of the incident which just happened (involving the New Nuts)," said Mrs. Outerbridge, the mother of Randolph and Jeffrey.

"I know right now they're going through what I went through. It's very touching. But with the Lord's help I'm just trying to do the best I can."

Mrs. Outerbridge said she had spoken with family members of the crew of the New Nuts, passing on her condolences to the families of Mr. Battersbee and Mr. Edness, and her joy to the family of Mr. Lambe.

"I spoke directly to Mr. Edness's friend (Catherine Lymbery)," she said. "Most people don't realise what it is to lose somebody. They think you'll be over it in two weeks, three weeks.

"I told them the Lord will get them through. Without my faith, I don't know if I could have made it through."

Barbara Smith, mother of George Minks, agreed that faith was the most important thing in helping her deal with the tragedy.

Explaining how the New Nuts tragedy was also affecting her, she said. "My granddaughter called and asked if I'd heard about the two guys. I sat and talked with her about it a bit."

Her granddaughter, Courtney, is now ten years old. She was never given the chance to know her father, said Mrs. Smith. "The year he (George) got lost she wasn't born."

"I feel sorry for them (the families of the crew of the New Nuts)," she said. "I know what I went through ten years ago.

"I want to tell them to keep the faith, pray to the good Lord that everything works out alright."

"They (Randolph and Jeffrey) were my only two children," said Mrs Outerbridge.

However, "I have the three grands, they keep me busy." Randolph's daughter, Torrae (Talibah), is now 16, and his son, Randy (Jahi), is 13. Jeffrey's daughter, Shanteerah (Jahzee), is 12.

"Sometimes it's difficult watching them, knowing their fathers aren't here," said Mrs. Outerbridge. "They were young at the time, but they were very close with their fathers. I just remember that first Christmas - Randy was three, he was very upset that Christmas Eve. He kept saying, `why did you let him go, why did you let him go?' They were young, but they still knew."

The difficult part, she said, was holidays and birthdays. "Every holiday was special. The family is very close.

"You never stop thinking about it, it's always there because you never have any closure. You just have this little bit of hope. Oh yes, I'm still hoping. I'm always looking , wherever I go, on TV, on vacation in the crowds - I just think one day they'll show up."

Now, on birthdays and holidays, Mrs. Outerbridge goes to Riddell's Bay wharf - from where the Simply Red set sail ten years ago - and throws flowers into the water.

"That's my comfort," she said. "I think this idea of a memorial for those lost at sea is a very good thing. It would be someplace to go, lay flowers or whatever you so choose to do.

In fact, without the support of her family, Mrs. Outerbridge said it would have been twice as hard. "My brothers and sisters are my backbone," she said.

"Now and then we still talk about them. And Georgie's not forgotten. He grew up with my children, he was always at my house."

Most people don't realise her loss until she brings it up, she said. "I say it to them, and they say `Oh, you're the mother, you're the mother'. People always treat me with respect."

"I've made my peace with it," said Mrs. Smith of the loss of her son. "If he was still around he would have probably tried to find his way back.

"I left it in God's hands. It's just one of those things that happened. I don't think I'll ever see him again."

The most important thing, said Mrs. Outerbridge, is prayer. "Trusting the Lord, having your family to back you.

"And I always try to keep a smile on my face."