Tag Archives: Rockliffe SFC

S.T. Vera Grace FD211

Additional information courtesy of Geoff Davidson and David Slinger

Technical

Official Number: 124700
Yard Number: 195
Completed: 1908
Gross Tonnage: 232.48
Net Tonnage: 89 .23
Length: 126.0 ft
Breadth: 22.1 ft
Depth: 10.1 ft
Built: Dundee Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Dundee
Engine: 400ihp T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge
Boiler: Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne
Armament 1 x 6 pdr AA

History

18.1.1908: Launched by Dundee Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Dundee (Yd.No.195) for William Henry Sutcliffe (64/64), Fleetwood as VERA GRACE.
2.1908: Completed.
9.3.1908: Registered at Fleetwood (FD211).
9.3.1908: William Henry Sutcliffe designated managing owner.
10.3.1908: Sold to William Henry Sutcliffe (16/64); John Sutcliffe (16/64); John W. Cockroft (16/64); Vera Grace Cockroft (8/64) and John William Sutcliffe (8/64), Fleetwood (trading as Rockcliffe Steam Fishing Co Ltd).
5.7.1909: John Potter designated manager.
10.11.1910: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood. James H. Marr designated manager.
2.2.1911: Stranded off Isle of Man and badly damaged.
8.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.135).
11.8.1914: Sailed Fleetwood for Portsmouth.
1914: Based Portsmouth.
1918: Based Portland.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood (James A. Robertson, manager).
11.3.1924: Stranded four miles W of Point of Ayre, IoM. Refloated next HW, no damage.
24.10.1924: James A. Robertson died.
10.1924: Alan Marr designated manager.
1.12.1925: Alan Marr died.
12.1925: Joseph Arthur Marr designated manager.
16.12.1928: With steam trawler EDWARD CATTELLY (FD204) stood by trawler BUSH (FD60) ashore on rocks off Mull of Cantire, entrance to Islay Sound and on evening tide unsuccessfully attempted to refloat.
1.4.1929: Joseph A. Marr retired to manage Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd.
4.1929: Geoffrey Edwards Marr designated manager.
22.9.1930: Arrived Oban with body of crewman Henry Firth, drowned at sea.
16.4.1932: Trawling in the Firth of Clyde with with port letters and numbers concealed with bags and other material, failed to indicate to other vessels that he was fishing and refused to comply with a direction to stop given by the commander of the Scottish Fishery Board’s cruiser VIGILANT. Pursued for over one hour and eventually apprehended and escorted into Ayr.
13.7.1932: At Ayr Sheriff Court, Sk. William Henry Nash was fined £140 with one month to pay or the option of 60 days imprisonment.
19.2.1935: At Bangor Magistrates Court, Sk. Oliver W. Watson was fined £20 on each of two charges of illegal trawling off the Welsh coast.
16.10.1937: Arrived Fleetwood in tow of Glasgow tug FLYING KITE (260grt/1929) from Scotland having suffered flooding and with engine trouble.
27.8.1940: Requisitioned for war service and appointed for minesweeping duties.
29.8.1940: Returned.
27.2.1941: Sold to Thornton Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood for £3,500. (Registered owner 3.3.1941). Geoffrey Edwards Marr designated manager.
2.7.1942: Sold to Harold Barber Ingram, Fleetwood. Harold Barber Ingram designated managing owner.
1943: Working Home Waters/Icelandic grounds.
26.5.1943: Typical landing, Home Waters. 492 kits – hake-146, cod/codling-35, flats-1, ling/coley-296, roker-6, dogs-4, sole & prime-2.
16.6.1943: Typical landing, Iceland grounds. 1125 kits – cod/codling-500, haddock-400, flats-25, cats-200.
24.4.1946: Fishing in North Sea, rescued one crew member of trawler EARL of ESSEX (GY48) which foundered having hauled a mine in the trawl which subsequently exploded; ten crew lost.
27.12.1952: Last landing at Fleetwood.
1.1953: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Thos. W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up.
15.1.1953: Sailed Fleetwood for Barrow. Fleetwood registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Vera Grace FD211

S.T. Vera Grace FD211
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Vera Grace FD211

S.T. Vera Grace FD211
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Vera Grace FD211

S.T. Vera Grace FD211
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
16/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
04/12/2015: Information added.
04/02/2016: Minor information update.
03/07/2020: Information updated.