Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow and Douglas Paterson

Technical

Official Number: 135970
Yard Number: 269a
Completed: 1913
Gross Tonnage: 296
Net Tonnage: 122
Length: 130.2 ft
Breadth: 23 ft
Depth: 12.2 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 540ihp T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

19.7.1913: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.269A) for The Great Grimsby & East Coast Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as UNITIA.
16.9.1913: Walter William Butt appointed manager.
17.9.1913: Registered at Grimsby (GY924).
9.1913: Completed (Walter W. Butt, manager).
12.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.699). Based Lowestoft.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
5.1923: New boiler fitted.
26.8.1926: Vessel mortgaged ((64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (A).
3.4.1938: Albert W. Butt appointed manager.
28.5.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an anti-submarine trawler (Hire rate £76.9.4d/month). Renamed PORTIA.
2.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.1852).
1.12.1941: Mortgage (A) discharged.
14.1.1942: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
22.1.1942: Basil Arthur Parkes, Cleveleys appointed manager.
1.1946: Returned after survey and restoration at Liverpool. Reverted to UNITIA (GY924).
25.3.1946: Sold to Nordic Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), London.
29.3.1946: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood for the sum of £11,000 with interest at 4% (B).
3.4.1946: Ernest John Williams, Coulsdon, Surrey appointed manager.
10.1946: On a trip to West of Scotland grounds (Sk. Harold Harrison).
31.10.1946: Responded to request for assistance from the Icelandic trawler GODEBORG, disabled off Barra Head with damaged rudder and bound Fleetwood to land. As Icelandic skipper spoke very little English put two men onboard GODEBORG, to maintain radio communications, the bosun and skipper’s brother Jack Harrison, who spoke a little Icelandic and deckhand Thomas Harrison. Connected and commenced tow but weather worsened and had to put back in the Sound of Islay and cruise all night as not fit to anchor and weather too bad to proceed.
1.11.1946. Got underway but in poor weather tow was slow and about 300 fathoms of wire was lost due to ‘stranding’.
2.11.1946: Arrived safely off Wyre Light.
3.11.1946: With GODEBORG lashed alongside poceeded to Wyre Dock on morning tide.
4.11.1946: GODEBORG landed 7,000 stone of cod and haddock.
17.7.1947: Mortgage (B) discharged.
28.7.1947: Sold to Edna Deep Sea Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), London.
28.7.1947: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Nordic Fishing Co Ltd, London (C).
11.8.1947: Maurice Bigio appointed manager.
20.2.1948: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (D).
16.9.1948: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (E).
20.9.1948: Mortgage (C) discharged.
23.9.1948: Mortgage (D) discharged.
11.8.1949: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (F).
2.11.1950: Mortgage (E) discharged.
2.11.1950: Mortgage (F) discharged.
9.11.1950: Sold to Craig Stores (Aberdeen Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen (Joseph Craig, manager).
25.11.1950: Grimsby registry closed.
29.11.1950: Registered at Aberdeen (A663).
31.1.1951: Sold to Kinbrace (Fishing) Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen (Joseph Craig, manager).
24.5.1952: When in transit through Westray Firth, stranded on rocks between the islands of Rousay and Egilsay.
9.6.1952: Refloated and delivered at Kirkwall.
1954: Sold to Belgian shipbreakers for breaking up.
4.6.1954: Aberdeen registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Unitia A663
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T.Unitia GY924
Picture by Steve Pulfrey courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

Changelog

17/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
28/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
09/08/2021: Updated history.