Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham and Jan Harteveld

Official Number: 99575
Yard Number: 90
Completed: 1892
Gross Tonnage: 132.72
Net Tonnage: 54
Length: 95.6 ft
Breadth: 20.5 ft
Depth: 10.8 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Hull
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes, Hull

1892: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Hull (Yd.No.90) for Hull Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Hull as MELBOURNE.
23.6.1892: Completed.
23.6.1892: Registered at Hull (H200). Henry Toozes appointed manager.
1.1913: Bloomfields Ltd, Gt. Yarmouth joined the Russian fishing syndicate, The Russian Northern Maritime Industries, the object of which was “Fishing, trading in fish and the exploitation of the riches of the sea of any kind whatever under the Russian flag’.
31.3.1912: Sold to W. A. Massey & Son Ltd, Hull, shipbrokers.
4.1913: Sold to Bloomfields Ltd, Gt Yarmouth on behalf of the syndicate for the sum of £875. Refurbished and outfitted for drift netting at a cost of £800.
2.5.1913: Hull registry closed. Registered at Archangel as PECHA (sometimes recorded as PESHA). Charles Jourieff Spahde, St. Petersburg appointed manager.
5.1913: Sailed Gt Yarmouth for Archangel (Sk.William James Empson Green); six hands all told.
5.1913: Arrived Archangel, coaled and took onboard a number of Russian fishermen.
13.6.1913: Sailed Archangel for fishing grounds. No fish found and returned to Archangel.
20.6.1913: Sailed Archangel for Barents Sea; fished but still without success.
27.6.1912: As previously agreed moved to Shetland waters and engaged with other drifters in the seasonal herring fishery.
9.1913: Arrived back in Yarmouth, Russian fishermen returned home.
10.1913: Bloomfields assumed sole ownership (64/64).
10.1913: Remeasured 126g 57n.
21.10.1913: Registered at Yarmouth as OCEAN COMRADE (YH405). James Bloomfield appointed manager. Engaged in the ‘Home Fishing’.
3.1914: Bloomfields informed the Russians that they would take sole ownership of the steam drifter (see 10.1913).
8.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper but fitted out as support for A/S net drifters (Ad.No.160).
2.1.1915: Sailed Lowestoft for Dover in company with HM drifters NINE SISTERS (Ad.No.157) (LT608), SEDULOUS (Ad.No.158) (YH2) and YOUNG FISHERMAN (Ad.No.159) (LT141).
1.3.1918: Sold to William Masson (24/64), Andrew Lewis (20/64), T. Christie (20/64), all Aberdeen. Andrew Lewis designated managing owner.
3.1918: Returned to owner. Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve.
18.12.1918: William Masson shares (10/64) sold to R. Masson (10/64), Aberdeen.
1.1.1919: William Masson shares (14/64) sold to I. Masson (6/64), J.Masson (6/64), T. Masson (2/64).
1919: Released.
2.6.1928: Sold to N.V. Visscherij Maatschappij “Beka”, IJmuiden (Broertjes en Knechtjens).
3.6.1928: Yarmouth registry closed.
6.1928: Registered at IJmuiden as BEKA (IJM78).
2.7.1929: Sailed IJmuiden for fishing grounds (Sk. A. Groen).
4.6.1929: Towing at about 2 knots about 22n miles NNW of Norderney Light vessel. At 22.30 experienced a light shock and thinking trawl had come fast stopped engine; on port side was German auxiliary motor fishing vessel ELLA (HF-284) using a light to ascertain name and number of BEKA which was damaged on port bow. Hailed and Germans confirmed they were not in any danger but needed to retrieve their gear
which was entangled with that of BEKA. About half an hour later gear was cleared and winch was heard recovering lines and on completion sailed away in ESE direction, lights partly obscured by sails. BEKA resumed fishing. ELLA subsequently foundered, her skipper claiming that BEKA had switched off all her lights and disappeared in the darkness offering no assistance. This was denied by skipper and crew of
BEKA.
1.10.1930: Company declared bankrupt.
31.1.1931(regd): Sold to Cols Durrant (64/64), Lowestoft.
31.1.1931: Registered at Lowestoft as OCEAN COMRADE (LT244).
2.2.1931: Sold to William Barnard (64/64), Lowestoft. William Barnard designated managing owner.
1936: White fish trawling from Fleetwood (Hewett Steam Fishing Co Ltd agents).
4.1937: Sold to German principals for breaking up. Seized by German Authorities whilst fishing.
26.4.1937: Lowestoft registry closed.
30.4.1937: Certificate returned by British Consul General, Hamburg

Changelog
30/04/2016: Page published.