Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Diana FD135

Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall

Technical

Official Number: 110711
Yard Number: 257
Completed: 1899
Gross Tonnage: 171.98
Net Tonnage: 52.14
Length: 110.0 ft
Breadth: 21.0 ft
Depth: 10.9 ft
Built: Mackie & Thomson, Govan
Engine: 400ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Muir & Houston Ltd, Glasgow

History

25.3.1899: Launched by by Mackie & Thomson, Govan (Yd.No.257) for William Widdowson (64/64), Hull as DIANA.
4.1899: Completed.
1.5.1899: Registered at Hull (H453). William Widdowson designated managing owner.
1902: New boiler fitted (made 1899).
9.1907: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
18.9.1907: Hull registry closed.
19.9.1907: Registered at Fleetwood (FD135). James H. Marr designated manager.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 67.20net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
13.10.1914: Sold to Thomas Lauder (64/64), Aberdeen for £2,250.
13.10.1914: Fleetwood registry closed.
13.10.1914: Thomas Lauder designated managing owner.
2.11.1914: Registered at Aberdeen (A148).
1915: Sold to Robert Milne (64/64), Aberdeen. Robert Milne designated managing owner.
6.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a collier in support of boom gate working vessels (2-12pdrs). Based Scapa.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Aberdeen.
15.1.1920: Sold to James Mearns Davidson (64/64), Glasgow.
4.7.1920: Sold to The Nettle Trawler Co Ltd (64/64), London. Benjamin Allenby c/o Sam Isaacs Ltd, Aberdeen designated manager.
11.1921: The Nettle Trawler Co Ltd in liquidation. Laid up at Pointlaw, Aberdeen.
12.12.1921: Advertised for sale by John Fraser, Liquidator, along with steam trawler NETTLE (A262). Vessel is in first class order and sold with all gear on board as lies.
1922: Sold to John Walker & Robert Allan Morrice (64/64 joint owners), Aberdeen. John Walker designated managing owner.
11.6.1926: Sold to William Frederick Croft, Hartlepool. William Frederick Croft designated managing owner.
10.7.1926: Sold to Croft Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hartlepool. William F. Croft designated manager.
1929: Cecil Croft designated manager.
7.2.1930: Sold to Robert Scott Hewett, London & Fleetwood.
17.2.1930: Aberdeen registry closed.
18.2.1930: Registered at London (LO31). Robert S. Hewett designated managing owner.
30.5.1930: Sold to Hewett Fishing Co Ltd, London & Fleetwood. Robert S. Hewett designated manager.
8.6.1930: Connected to steam drifter/trawler THRIFTY (LT152) disabled with propeller fouled with fishing gear and delivered Fleetwood.
1937: Sold for breaking up.
10.2.1937: London registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Diana H453

S.T. Diana H453
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

Changelog
19/12/2008: Page published. 3 revisions since then.
06/07/2014: Picture added.
21/07/2016: Information updated.
01/12/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
04/09/2021: Updated history and technical details.

S.T. Diadem GY1267

Technical

Official Number: 113243
Yard Number: 10
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 212
Net Tonnage: 84
Length: 118.2 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co, Hull
Built: G. Cooper, Hull

History

5.1903: Completed by G. Cooper, Hull (Yd.No.10) for Crown Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby (George E. J. Moody, managers as DIADEM.
18.5.1903: Registered at Grimsby (GY1267).
1907: Fishing from Fleetwood.
8.1909: Sold to Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Dublin (Arthur Richardson, manager).
30.8.1910: Grimsby registry closed.
8.1910: Registered at Dublin as HENRY GRATTAN (D86).
1913: Fishing from Fleetwood.
6.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence trawler (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.NI). Based Cromarty.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Dublin.
1922: Company restructured as Dublin Trawling, Ice & Cold Storage Co Ltd, Dublin (Arthur Richardson, manager).
1926: Captain Patrick Fannon appointed manager.
1938: Sold for breaking up.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Diadem GY1267

S.T. Diadem GY1267
Picture courtesy of Bill Blow

Changelog
19/12/2008: Page published. 6 updates since then.

P.T. Dhu Heartach

Technical

Official Number: 55130
Yard Number: 50
Completed: 1868
Gross Tonnage: 149
Net Tonnage: 54
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 18 ft
Depth: 9.8 ft
Engine: Lever 2-cyl & boiler by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn-on-Tyne
Built: Wigham Richardson & Co, Walker upon Tyne

History

Note: Paddle Steamer – first powered vessel to fish from Fleetwood

1868: Completed by Wigham Richardson & Co, Low Walker upon Tyne (Yd.No.50) for Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh as DHU HEARTACH. Registered at Leith.
1875: Sold to Alderman William H. Crocker, Blackpool.
1876: Leith registry closed. Registered at Fleetwood. Attempted to trawl fish out of Fleetwood, but harassed by smacksmen, their agents and those involved in the inshore fishery and abandoned the venture.
1884: Sold to H. Hall, Fleetwood.
1886: Sold to S. Auberstein, Cardiff.
1887: Sold to S. Lord, Fleetwood.
1887: Sold to Christopher Furness, West Hartlepool. Fleetwood registry closed. Registered at West Hartlepool.
1890: Sold to The Direct Acting Jet Propulsion Co Ltd, West Hartlepool (Frederick W. Richardson, Stanton, manager).
1893: Sold John Wigham & Thomas Colling, Sunderland (Thomas Colling managing owner). West Hartlepool registry closed. Registered at Sunderland.
1893: Rebuilt as twin screw, C.2-cyl x 2 by R. Dunlop & Bell, Liverpool – remeasured 167g 76n.
1895: Sold to Thomas Maughan, Sunderland. Renamed Startforth.
1895: Sold to John H. Soppit, Sunderland (managing owner).
1896: Sold to The Skinningrove Iron Co Ltd, Carlin How (Thomas C. Hutchinson, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, manager).
1897: Sunderland registry closed. Registered at Middlesbrough.
1900: Sold to Archibald Stewart, Glasgow (managing owner). Middlesbrough registry closed. Registered at Glasgow.
1905: Owners re-styled Forth Steamship Co Ltd, Glasgow (Archibald Stewart, manager, managers).
1908: Sold to Buchan & Hogg, Grangemouth (John Hogg managing owner).
1914: Laid up at Alloa.
1915: Sold to Weymouth Diving & Towing Co Ltd, Weymouth.
1917: Sold to Samuel W. Oakley, London (managing owner).
1917: Glasgow registry closed. Registered at Weymouth.
1921: Sold to Edward T. Murphy, London.
1921: Sold to E. Parker, London.
1921: Sold to Woodruff & Co Ltd, London.
1922: Sold to Thomas E. Hill, Birkenhead (managing owner).
1923: Sold to Southampton Shipping, Metal & Shingle Co Ltd, London (Samuel R. T. Dowding, Southampton, manager).
1924: Sold to the Netherlands for breaking up.

Changelog

19/12/2010: Page published. 8 updates since then.
22/09/2019: Information updated.

S.T. Gaul FD143

Additional information courtesy of Birgir Þórisson

Technical

Official Number: 121030
Yard Number: 64
Completed: 1904
Gross Tonnage: 270.37
Net Tonnage: 94.18
Length: 130 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 12.4 ft
Built: Cook Welton & Gemmell, Beverley
Engine: 80hp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Speed: 10.5 knots

History

24.11.1904: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley (Yd.No.64) for The Imperial Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as Gaul (H761).
30.1.1905: Registered at Hull (H761).
2.1905: Completed Frank Orlando Hellyer & Owen Stooks Hellyer designated managers.
7.2.1908: Sailed Hull for the fishing grounds of Faxe Bay, Iceland (Sk. William Ernest Lowrey); twelve hands all told.
12.2.1908 arrived off Utakalar Light and commenced fishing.
16.2.1908: Off Utakalar headland in clear weather but dark, with light wind ENE. Ceased fishing and crew repairing/prepairing nets, skipper at breakfast, ship in charge of spare hand, James Smith. Engine at slow steering SW. The fishing lights were left burning. At approximately 0730 a vessel was observed close to on the starboard bow. Smith immediately rang full astern and on hearing the telegraph the skipper returned to the bridge and a moment later the GAUL struck the port side of the trawler midships. The trawler was the LORD ROSEBERY (H537) (Unnamed Swedish skipper), which had been driving before the wind as the crew repaired the nets. With the LORD ROSEBERY taking in water and having lost their boat on passage to Iceland, the GAUL launched her boat and the crew was taken off. Shortly afterwards, with some members of both crews, returned to the LORD ROSEBERY by boat to assess the situation. The damage to the shell plating was a foot above the waterline but with coal in the after end of the ice room and WT access door open, the ship was filling rapidly. Preparations were made to take the LORD ROSEBERY in tow and the warps were secured aft. Remaining men were taken off and tow commenced towards land but after a short time she started to settle. The warps were cut and LORD ROSEBERY foundered almost immediately in the vicinity of Cape Utskalar Light, Faxe Bay, some thirty-five to forty minutes after the impact. The crew of the LORD ROSEBERY were landed at Reykjavik and later returned to Hull in the steam trawler COLTMAN (H973). At the formal investigation (S.251) held at Hull, the Court found that the collision and subsequent foundering of the LORD ROSEBERY was caused by the GAUL having a bad look-out and not keeping out of her way. It would have been avoided or its severity lessened if the LORD ROSEBERY had also not had a bad look-out. The Court found the the skipper of the GAUL, William Ernest Lowery and the second hand of the LORD ROSEBERY in default. In view of Sk. Lowery’s excellent character, his certificate was suspended for three months, while some blame was attached to spare hand James Smith. The second hand of the LORD ROSEBERY was severely censured.
22.2.1908: When entering Hafnarfjörður, in clear visibility, came fast on Helgasker shoal. Came off under own power but stripped propeller in process and as a result drifted ashore. Danish rescue tug SVAVE (156grt/1907) (Tn. Ibsen, master) on scene and succeeded in refloating. Towed into Hafnarfjörður to await arrival of replacement propeller from Britain.
5.3.1908: Towed to Reykjavik by SVAVA for repairs.
18.5.1908: At the formal investigation (S.251) into the loss of the LORD ROSEBERY held at Hull, the Court found that the collision and subsequent foundering of the LORD ROSEBERY was caused by the GAUL having a bad look-out and not keeping out of her way.
2.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, 1-7.5” A/S Howitzer) (Ad.No.733).
3.11.1917: Sold to The New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, Fleetwood. Joseph A. Taylor & Ernest Tomlinson designated managers. Based Humber.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
8.4.1919: Hull registry closed.
9.4.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD143).
1924: William W. Brierley designated manager.
1925: Chartered by Hellyer Bros Ltd, Hull for use in reconnoitring for ice fields, marking boundaries, fish carrying, etc in the halibut fishery in the Davis Strait, Greenland.
2.1926: Chartered by Andreas Goodmundsson, Leith to carry fish from Iceland to Grimsby.
27.3.1926: On completion of charter, sailed Grimsby for Fleetwood north about with a scratch crew (Sk. Karl Johnson); nine crew in all.
30.3.1926: In heavy weather driven on submerged reef in Ballevullin Bay, NW Tiree. *Crew took to boat which overturned; seven men lost, two reached the shore.
29.7.1926: Fleetwood registry closed on advice from owners.

*Crew all Grimsby men. Survivors. G. Platt, deckhand and E. Thompson, trimmer. Lost. Sk. Karl Johnson; W. Robinson, Mate; R. Dean, third hand; T. Moon deckhand; A. Keightley, Chief engineer, R. Kershaw, 2nd engineer and A. Beard, cook.

Read the BOT Inquiry Report here

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S.T. Gaul FD143

S.T. Gaul H761
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T Svava

S.T Svava
Picture courtesy of The Danishi Maritime Museum

Changelog
19/01/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.
26/10/2020: Updated history.
29/10/2020: Further update to history and added an image.