Wartime and seasonal post war visitor
Additional material courtesy of Barry Banham and Andy Hall
Technical
Official Number: 139821
Yard Number: 544
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 95.99
Net Tonnage: 35.33
Length: 86.2 ft
Breadth: 18.5 ft
Depth: 9.3 ft
Built: A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by James Abernethy & Co, Aberdeen
History
1918: Launched by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.544) (“Admiralty drifter”) for The Admiralty as SANDSTORM (Ad.No.3907).
31.5.1918: Completed (1-6pdr).
1919: Laid up.
12.7.1920: Transferred to The Fishery Board for Scotland, Edinburgh for disposal.
3.11.1920: Registered at Aberdeen (Part I) as GLENBRECK O.N.139821.
4.11.1920: Registered owner Fishery Board for Scotland, Edinburgh.
14.11.1920: Registered at Aberdeen (Part IV) as GLENBRECK (A381). Sk. Thomas Gilmour/Sk. John Wood.
9.3.1921: Sold to Thomas Gilmour, Torry, Aberdeen under HM Treasury mortgage agreement (Disposal of Admiralty Drifters to Ex-service Fishermen). John H. Harrow designated manager.
11.1922: Mortgage foreclosed. Repossessed by His Majesty, represented by the Commissioners representing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland, London.
3.9.1923: Aberdeen registry closed.
16.10.1923: Sold to Thomas Thorburn Irvin, Aberdeen. Thomas Thorburn Irvin designated managing owner.
16.10.1923: Aberdeen registry re-opened (A381).
2.1924: Sold to John Dougal & David Dougal, Eyemouth. David Dougal designated managing owner.
26.2.1924: Aberdeen registry closed.
3.1924: Registered at Berwick as RIVER EYE (BK3) (Approval for Change of Ship’s Name submitted to Registrar General Shipping & Seamen dated 10.3.1924). Converted for line fishing.
26.3.1925: In Shields Engineering & Dry Dock Company’s dry dock for repair and overhaul.
3.8.1925: At Seahouses, Northumberland landed 60 cran of herring.
1.1926: Registered at Berwick as OLDEN TIMES (BK3) (Approval for Change of Ship’s Name submitted to Registrar General Shipping & Seamen dated 26.12.1925).
20.2.1928: While leaving Eyemouth in collision and caused damage to the motor fishing boat TRIUMPH II (BK 20).
12.1929: Sold to George Hitcham Catchpole, Lowestoft.
20.12.1929: Registered at Lowestoft (LT127).
31.1.1930: Registered at Lowestoft as SEASONS’ GIFT (LT127) (Approval for Change of Ship’s Name submitted to Registrar General Shipping & Seamen dated 31.12.1929).
14.2.1930: Sold to Stanley Edward Catchpole (32/64) & Ernest George Catchpole (32/64), Lowestoft. Stanley Edward Catchpole designated manager.
1930s: Seasonal white fish trawling out of Fleetwood.
12.3.1930: In fine weather, sailed Fleetwood for Morecambe Bay grounds in company with steam trawler AUCKLAND (LT445). When in the vicinity of the Lune Lightship experienced machinery problem. AUCKLAND responded to signals of distress, closed, connected and commenced tow back to Fleetwood, arriving on the evening tide.
4.4.1930: At Fleetwood landed 42 boxes.
4.2.1931: Sold to Stanley Edward Catchpole, Lowestoft. Stanley Edward Catchpole designated managing owner.
24.4.1931: At Fleetwood landed 36 boxes.
7.7.1931: Sold to Frederick Ernest Beane (32/64), Lowestoft & Isaac Alexander Kemp (32/64), Kessingland. Frederick Ernest Beane designated managing owner.
24.8.1931: At Scarborough landed 15 cran of herring.
19.7.1932: At Lerwick landed 50 cran of herring.
28.3.1934: Arrived Milford Haven in the morning with Falmouth registered ketch HETTY (107grt/1877) on passage Waterford Co. Waterford for Dublin, cargo bricks, picked up disabled with sails blown away and engine failed after an easterly gale sprang up.
27.10.1934: At Gt Yarmouth landed 150 cran of herring.
8.12.1936: At Lowestoft landed 12 cran of herring at 76s per cran.
27.2.1939: Sold to Frederick Ernest Beane, Lowestoft (The Breeze Co (Lowestoft) Ltd managers & agents).
26.7.1940: Requisitioned for war service on balloon barrage (Hire rate £32.0.0d/month).
27.7.1940: Returned to owner.
1940-1945: Trawling out of Fleetwood.
24.2.1941: In Wyre channel in collision with Icelandic wooden motor fishing vessel (carrier) HELGI (RE 333)(115grt/1939).
3.1.1942: Frederick Ernest Beane died.
7.4.1943: Ownership transferred to Mrs Margaret Beane, Lowestoft.
19.5.1943: Typical wartime landing. 97 kits – cod/codling-19, plaice-15, roker-57, gurnard-1, sole & prime-5.
10.8.1945: In the Admiralty Court an application was lodged on behalf of Mrs Margaret Beane, Beccles, Suffolk, widow and executrix of Mr. Frederick Ernest Beane, late owner of the steam drifter SEASONS’ GIFT, to limit liability for a collision with the Icelandic motor fishing vessel HELGI on 24 February 1941, in the Wyre Channel, Fleetwood. There was no loss of life. The applicant asked the court to limit the liability of Mr. Beane’s estate to £8 a ton of the tonnage of the SEASONS’ GIFT (78.51 tons) making a limited find of £628 1s. 7d. under the Merchant Shipping Acts, for meeting claims and damage to ships, boats, merchandise and goods. The Breeze Company (Lowestoft) Ltd, had managed Mr. Beane’s vessels. and Mr. Beane died in May 1942 a year after the accident. The amount of the HELGI damage claim was £1,800. There was no opposition to Mrs. Beane’s application. The widow had no holding in the vessel and no personal interest in the matter. her husband being its sole owner. Mr. Justice Pilcher said he limited the liability of the estate to £628 1s. 7d., and limited to three month the period for bringing in claims.
1946-1950: Seasonal white trawling from Fleetwood.
25.06.1948: At Fleetwood landed 113 boxes.
13.5.1949: At Fleetwood awaiting the tide to sail some crew in their bunks, a fire broke out following an explosion in the engine room. Watchman William Peek had been in the engine room tending the diesel generator when there was a flash and flames spread across the space, he immediately called for the Dock Fire Brigade. Firemen using breathing apparatus found two oil drums alight and fought for two hours before successfully extinguishing the fire.
11.5.1951: At Fleetwood landed 100 boxes.
1954: Sold to Belgian shipbreakers.
17.5.1954: Sailed Lowestoft for Antwerp.
12.8.1954: Lowestoft registry closed “Sold to foreigners for demolition.”
Changelog
21/02/2011: Page published. 2 updates since then.
01/08/2021: Updated history
26/10/2022: Significant update to history.