Additional information courtesy of Henry Leadbetter.and Michael Stephen

Technical

Official Number: 114301
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 51
Net Tonnage: 22
Length: 64.8 ft
Breadth: 17.7 ft
Depth: 9.85 ft
Rig: Ketch/Auxiliary motor ketch – trawling
Built: John Singleton & Co, Fleetwood

History

1903: Built by John Singleton & Co, Fleetwood. 5.1903: Completed by Richard (‘Fish Dick’) Leadbetter, Wyre Dock, Fleetwood for William Leadbetter, 33 North Church Street, Fleetwood (20/64); Nanny Leadbetter, Fleetwood (2/64); Harriet Leadbetter, Fleetwood (4/64); Betty Wright, Fleetwood (8/64); William Coulburn, Fleetwood (2/64); John Coulburn. Fleetwood (2/64); Thomas Rigby, Fleetwood (8/64); George Butler Woods, Fleetwood (4/64) and Richard Leadbetter (16/64) (64 shares) as MARGARET.
29.5.1903: Registered at Fleetwood (FD208), William Leadbetter designated managing owner.
25.9.1903: Eight shares (W. Leadbetter) sold to Isaac Leadbetter, 40 St. Anne’s Road West, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea and two shares (W. Leadbetter) sold to Edwin William Mann, 60 Claremont Terrace, Fleetwood.
30.1.1915: Fishing off Morecambe Bay (Sk. Leadbetter), picked up 23 survivors of steamer BEN CRUACHAN (3092grt/1903) on passage Scapa Flow – Liverpool, stopped by U.boat (U21) 15 miles NW of Morecambe Bay Light Vessel and scuttled by explosive charges in position 53.36N 03.51W. Landed at Fleetwood.
Pre 1924: Sold to William Leadbetter, 54 Sagar Terrace, Blakiston Street Fleetwood (managing owner).
1924: Converted to auxiliary motor at Skippool and fitted with a 4 stroke 4-cyl 56bhp oil engine by Gardner Engines Ltd, Patricroft, Manchester. Re-measured 56.87g 17.71 net.
10.10.1924: Registry closed and re-registered as auxiliary motor ketch. Owner William Leadbetter, 23 North Albert Street, Fleetwood (managing owner).
11.1925: Fishing in Red Wharf Bay, North Wales. Ten miles off the coast, in bad weather, the engine room became engulfed in flames. Crew employed fire extinguishers but the flames threatened to reach 2 x 200 gallon paraffin oil tanks. Sk. William Leadbetter took the helm and made for the coast while the crew fought the fire. Crew could not fight the fire for long due to flames and fumes from the extinguishers, which failed to put the fire out. Buckets of water were thrown over the flames as were bags soaked in water. A small steamer was seen nearby and a distress signnl displayed, but it was ignored. Fire extinguished after two hours.
25.09.1933: The smack returned to Fleetwood from the Irish Sea grounds (Sk. William Leadbeater) on Sunday, berthed and was made secure. Crew all went home. Early Monday morning a watchman spotted a glow of flames through a skylight. The alarm was raised and the railway company’s Wyre Dock Fire Brigade attended. Fire was extinguished but not before serious damage was sustained.
5.5.1939: Sold to John Wignall, 11 Walmsley Street, Fleetwood & others (John Wignall managing owner).
20.9.1941: Sold to William Winston Curwyn, Crawford Arms Hotel, Conway.
4.5.1944: Sold to James C. Screech, 10 Myrtle Street, Appledore.
27.6.1944: Sold to Hubert Jones, 30 The Grove, Uplands, Swansea.
10.12.1946: Sold to William Alfred & D. L. George, Swansea.
12.??.1949: Sold to James Robert Sheader, 20 Tennyson Terrace, Hartlepool. Fleetwood registry closed. Registered at Hartlepool (HL92).
1961: Suffered engine explosion and subsequently abandoned near old Lifeboat Station.
1991: Buried when new Boathouse constructed to house Atlantic 21.

Click to enlarge image

sv Margaret FD208

sv Margaret FD208
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
22/02/2009: Page published. 5 revisions since then.
15/12/2014: Information updated.
02/07/2015: Updated information and added picture.
14/08/2017: Removed FMHT watermark.
16/03/2025: Added an image.
01/10/2026: Information updated.