Category Archives: Steamers (Picture)

S.T. Socrates FD163

Technical

Official Number: 123356
Yard Number: 331
Completed: 1906
Gross Tonnage: 296
Net Tonnage: 110
Length: 138.6 ft
Breadth: 23 ft
Depth: 11.8 ft
Built: Mackie & Thompson, Govan
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge

History

12.5.1906: Launched by Mackie & Thomson, Govan (Yd.No.331) for Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as SOCRATES.
12.6.1906: Registered at Hull (H885).
6.1906: Completed (William R. Leyman, manager).
10.10.1912: Sold to James H. Marr, Fleetwood for £5250.
15.11.1912: Hull registry closed.
16.11.1912: Registered at Fleetwood (FD163).
7.12.1912: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood (James H. Marr, manager).
7.1.1913: Homeward from fishing grounds (Sk.Philip Burman). In thick fog and drizzle, stranded on rocks in Clanyard Bay, Wigtownshire. Crew of eleven scaled cliffs and made their way to Drummore. At high water slipped from rocks and submerged.
1.1913: Survey by Liverpool and Glasgow Salvage Association’s steam derrick barge LADY KATE (135grt/1881) indicated little damage but offer to refloat was declined by Hull Steam Trawlers Mutual Insurance Co.
21.1.1913: Fleetwood registry closed “Total loss”. Wreck stripped.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Socrates H885

S.T. Socrates H885
Picture courtesy of Billy Worrall

S.T. Socrates FD163

S.T. Socrates FD163
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

S.T. Socrates FD163

S.T. Socrates FD163
Picture courtesy of Fred Baker

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published.
19/05/2014: Picture added.
01/06/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from images.

S.T. Soar FD155

Additional information courtesy of Ross Littlewood

Technical

Official Number: 136902
Yard Number: 609
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 219
Net Tonnage: 85
Length: 117 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 11.9 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough

History

16.3.1915: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.609) for The “Wyre” Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood as SOAR.
22.4.1915: Registered at Fleetwood (FD155) (Magnus B. J. Wedum, manager).
4.1915: Completed. Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1620). Based Swansea.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
9.1919: In collision in dock channel with CITY OF LONDON (FD201) and both vessel took the ground. Refloated on next tide.
9.1923: Attended smack LOUIE RIGBY (FD127) dismasted and in distress in heavy seas. Connected and towed (18 hours) to Milford Haven.
1935: Sold to Andrew Robertson & James S. Kelman, Aberdeen (Andrew Robertson managing owner).
29.4.1935: Fleetwood registry closed.
1.5.1935: Registered at Aberdeen (A284).
18.3.1940: Returning from coaling in Methil in darkness (coastal lights extinguished) and heavy weather, ran on reef to east of Black Waugh rocks 1 mile south of Gourdon, Kincardineshire; six crew lost*. Declared a total loss.
26.11.1940: Aberdeen registry closed “Total loss”.

Note On a stormy night, the trawler SOAR of Aberdeen foundered on the outlying reefs to the East of the rocks known as the “Black Waughs”, half a mile south of Gourdon. Her crew of six all perished.
SOAR had been south for bunker coal and was on her way back to Aberdeen when disaster struck. It being wartime there were no coastal lights to help the skipper navigate and the strong South-Easterly wind must have forced his vessel too far in.

The first sign of the wreck was discovered by a villager “raking the beach”. Daylight was just breaking when he stumbled on a body. He quickly ran back to Gourdon and alerted the Coastguards and villagers. Just as the coastguards and fisherman reached the scene they saw the trawler’s small boat drifting shorewards. Coastguard John Penny & skipper John Stewart dashed into the water and with some difficulty managed to reach the boat – sadly – it was empty.

At the time there was no sign of the vessel itself, but at low water the ship’s boiler could be seen to the east of the “Black Waughs”. Most of the bodies were recovered during the day.
“The Wild & Rocky Coast” by Roy Soutar (Roy is a Gourdon resident, ex-fisherman & whose father was Cox of the Gourdon lifeboat).

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Soar FD155

S.T. Soar FD155
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 revisions since then.
30/09/2014: Added information.
29/05/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Northward Ho A15

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3827
Official Number: 139338
Yard Number: 163
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 203.50
Net Tonnage: 87.83
Length: 115.4 ft
Breadth: 22.2 ft
Depth: 12.1 ft
Built: Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith
Engine: 430ihp T.3-cyl by Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith

History

10.1918: Launched by Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith (Yd.No.163) (“Strath” class) for The Admiralty as JAMES HINES (Ad.No.3827).
5.2.1919: Forms for tender to purchase received by the Admiralty.
3.1919: Sold to Benjamin Knowles, Hull.
13.5.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel for The Hollinwood Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull.
22.5.1919: Registered at Hull (Part I &IV) as JAMES HINES O.N.139338 (H56).
1927: Sold to Seaward Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Charles Hudson designated manager.
13.5.1927: Registered at Hull as NORTHWARD HO (H56).
1929: Sold to Ocean Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. George Altoft designated manager.
3.1934: Sold to George Leiper, Aberdeen (managing owner).
1.3.1934: Hull registry closed.
3.3.1934: Registered at Aberdeen (A15). George Leiper designated managing owner.
16.7.1936: Landed at Fleetwood 248 boxes £418 gross (Alex Keay, agent).
1938: Sold to W. Leiper, Aberdeen. W. Leiper designated managing owner.
11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.795) (Hire rate £63.15.0d/month).
19.3.1941: Sold to Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co Ltd & Regent Fishing Co (Aberdeen) Ltd, Aberdeen. Thomas Walker designated manager.
22.2.1946: Sold to Brixham Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood. Ralph S. Dugdall designated manager.
28.2.1946: Returned after restoration and survey at Aberdeen.
18.9.1946: Registered at Aberdeen as SMEE (A15) (MoT Minute RG No.1163/46 dated 26.8.1946).
7.1955: Sold to Jacques Bakker en Zonen, Bruges for breaking up.
28.7.1955: Delivered Bruges.
12.8.1955: Aberdeen registry closed.

(James Hines, Private, Marine, age 25, b. Wollondridge (?), Dorset – VICTORY (ML120))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Smee A15

S.T. Smee A15
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. Two updates since then.
02/07/2021: Updated history and technical details.

S.T. Shama M223

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger

Technical

Official Number: 139325
Yard Number: 183
Completed; 1918
Gross Tonnage: 191.05
Net Tonnage: 72.11
Length: 110.2 ft
Breadth: 21.6 ft
Depth: 12.0 ft
Built; Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole
Engine: 300ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

History

1917: Launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole (Yd.No.183) for Kelsall Bros. & Beeching Ltd (64/64), Hull as SHAMA.
3.4.1918: Registered at Hull (H641). John Slater, London designated manager.
4.1918: Completed.
19.4.1918: Requisitioned from the builders and fitted out as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.3083) . Commissioned (Sk. Harry L. Lang RNR). Based Dover.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Hull.
7.6.1919: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank Ltd, London (A). John Slater designated manager.
6.3.1923: Mortgagee re-styled as Westminster Bank Ltd, London.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to William Augustus Hayward, Eastbourne.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd, London.
28.9.1928: Robert Burton designated manager.
16.9.1932: Charles Hugh Emerson designated manager.
10.1932: Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd in liquidation.
1.11.1932: Mortgage (A) transferred to Harold Frank Hayward, London; Maud Florence Katherine Rogers, Chelsea and Ernest Norton, London (64/64 joint mortgagees).
3.1936: Combined boxing and trawling fleet of Kelsall Bros. & Beeching Ltd and the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd consisting of 59 vessels laid up at Hull (declining catches, coal bill and increased maintenance costs had made the venture uneconomical).
6.3.1936: At Extraordinary General Meeting at Hull, Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd placed in Creditors’ Voluntary Winding-up. Richard Field Helm of Messrs Hodgson Harris & Co, London appointed liquidators.
3.12.1936: By order of the mortgagees under mortgage (A) sold to Herman Westenborg; Mark Mansfield Robson; Edwin King & Constance Gwendoline Richards, Milford Haven (joint owners). Herman Westenborg appointed manager.
8.1.1937: Hull registry closed.
11.1.1937: Registered at Milford (M223).
7.4.1937: Sailed Milford (Sk. Bert Foster) in company with TRUMPETER (H1020) (Sk. J. King) to carry out trials with the Spanish Pareja pair trawling method.
15.4.1937: The pair landed 220kits grossed £550, mostly hake.
6.10.1938: At anchor in Dale Bay, struck by steam trawler RUDILAIS (M50) causing some damage.
5.10.1939: Sold to Herman Westenborg & Mark M. Robson, Milford Haven (joint owners) (Herman Westenborg, manager).
5.12.1940: Sold to Westenborg Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Milford Haven (Herman Westenborg, manager).
28.1.1941: Requisitioned for war service and employed on miscellaneous naval duties (Hire rate £57.6.0d/month).
5.1.1942: Returned to owner.
2.12.1942: Sold to Wyre Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood. J. N. Ward & Son designated managers.
22.6.1943: Typical wartime landing – 186 kits – hake-48, cod/coley-16, whiting-13, flats-6, ling/coley-52, roker-12, gurnard-8, dogs-21.
4.4.1945: Sold to Pair Fishing Co Ltd, Milford Haven. Henry J. Richards designated manager.
5.12.1946: Sold to George Jappy, Alexander M. Morrice & William P. Clarke, Aberdeen (joint owners).
12.12.1946: Milford registry closed.
16.12.1946: Registered at Aberdeen (A246).
14.10.1948: Sold to George Jappy, William P. Clarke, Jane Allan Ritchie or Morrice & George Dinnir(?), Aberdeen.
2.2.1953: Sold to Malcolm Smith Ltd & George Jappy, Aberdeen. Malcolm Smith designated manager.
11.4.1955: Sold to Charles F. Graham, Aberdeen. Charles F. Graham designated managing owner.
26.5.1955: Registered at Aberdeen as DANESTON (A246) (MoT minute RSS2/1/3468 dated 6th May 1955).
1956: Sold for breaking up.
18.8.1956: Aberdeen registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Daneston A246

S.T. Daneston A246
Picture courtesy of Milford Trawlers

Changelog
04/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
26/08/2018: Information updated.
12/07/2020: Added an image and updated information.

S.T. Seville FD135

Technical

Official Number: 148224
Yard Number: ??
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 271
Net Tonnage: 122
Length: 125.7 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Kingston Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Kingston, Ontario
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by National Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Goderich, Ontario.

History

1.1917: Ordered.
1918: Launched by Kingston Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Kingston, Ontario (Yd.No. – ) (Canadian “Castle” – T.R.” class) for The Admiralty (paid for and built under direction of RCN) as TR.20.
31.8.1918: Completed by Collingwood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Collingwood, Ontario (Yd. No.-) and commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy (1-12pdr).
14.1.1919: Paid off and laid up.
1920: Accepted offer of Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd, Inverness (Captain D. J. Munro as agent) to bring drifters with trawlers as escorts to UK for lay-up in Muirtown Basin, Caledonian Canal, Inverness prior to sale and possible refit for classification as steam trawlers (The Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd letter dated 12 April 1920).
1921: Brought over at The Admiralty’s expense.
1.1926: Still laid up.
2.1926: Rejected offer for all remaining trawlers at £2,000 each (B. Allenby, Aberdeen letter dated 10 Feb 1926).
8.1926: Sold “as is” to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Grimsby (Fred Parkes, Blackpool, manager).
22.9.1926: Registered at Fleetwood as SEVILLE (FD135).
1928: Sold to Red Funnel Fisheries Ltd, Sydney, NSW.
3.9.1928: Registered at Fleetwood as DURRAWEEN (FD135).
15.9.1928: Sailed Fleetwood for Sydney in company with GOOLGWAI (FD117).
12.1928: Arrived Sydney, NSW after 92 day passage, which included stranding when calling at the Cocos Islands, Indian Ocean.
29.12.1928: Fleetwood registry closed.
1930: Registered at Sydney, NSW.
1933: Owners re-styled Red Funnel Trawlers Ltd, Sydney, NSW.
28.12.1937: In collision with steamer WANGANELLA (9576grt/1932) near Montague Island, NSW. Sustained damage to bows, but with WANGANELLA, damaged amidships, proceeded to Sydney; no casualties.
29.7.1940: Requisitioned for war service by Royal Australian Navy and fitted out at Williamstown as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, 1-20mm Oerlikon, 1-0.303 Vickers MG) (P.No.FY.93).
1940: Based Port Melbourne, Vic with M/S Group 54.
11.1940: Sweeping in Bass Strait with others swept 43 mines mines off Wilson’s Promontary (laid by German auxiliary cruiser PENGUIN and auxiliary minelayer PASSAT).
8.1944: Joined TU 70.5.2 surveying Torres Strait.
1.11.1945: Paid off and laid up.
10.1946: Returned after survey and restoration at Sydney.
1952: Sold for breaking up at Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, NSW.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Seville FD135

S.T. Seville FD135
Picture (as TR20) courtesy of Ronnie Bell

S.T. Seville FD135

S.T. Seville FD135
Picture (as TR20) courtesy of Ronnie Bell

S.T. Durraween

S.T. Durraween

HMT Durraween

HMT Durraween.
Picture from the Internet.

Changelog
04/01/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.
27/04/2014: Updated information.
28/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
19/02/2035: Added an image.