Additional information courtesy of Christine Simm
Technical
Official Number: 127563
Yard Number: 430
Completed: 1908
Gross Tonnage: 270.39
Net Tonnage: 102.83
Length: 130.0 ft
Breadth: 23.0
Depth: 12.2 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 500ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith, Hull
History
2.5.1908: Launched by Mrs Isabella Pilling at Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.430) for The Mount Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Messrs Moody’s & Kelly) as VIVO.
7.8.1908: George Edward James Moody, Grimsby designated manager.
11.8.1908: Registered at Fleetwood (FD220).
11.8.1908: Completed.
21.9.1908: Landed 200 boxes of hake which realised good prices.
19.10.1908: On a record market at Fleetwood landed 795 boxes (750 boxes herring).
28.10.1908: Landed 570 boxes (450 boxes herring).
25.3.1909: Vessel mortgaged (64/74) to The London City & Midland Bank Ltd, London (A).
9.4.1909: Record landings at Fleetwood for the Easter fish trade. Landed 237 boxes.
18.5.1909: Landed 520 boxes (200 hake).
22.11.1909: Landed 240 boxes.
22.1.1910: Landed 300 boxes.
4.7.1910: Landed 430 boxes.
12.7.1910: Trawling some 100 miles NNW of Bull Rock Light, Co.Cork, in collision with Milford steam trawler BRITANNIA (LO271) carrying away her after gallows.
18.7.1910: Landed 400 boxes from West of Ireland grounds.
1.8.1910: Landed 250 boxes.
12.8.1910: Sailed Fleetwood for the St. Kilda grounds (Sk. Robert Wright); eleven hands all told and two trippers.
18,8.1910: In the evening left St. Kilda for the Klondyke ground some 50 miles NNW of Inishtrahull.
20.8.1910: At about 11.20am left fishing grounds for home with about 20tons (320 boxes) of fish. Inishtrahull was sighted and position noted and again at 8.30pm off Rathlin Island but a fix was not taken and a course was set S by E1/2E to take them through the North Channel. That course if made good would have taken them down the Irish side of the channel. They did in fact pass close to the Maidens and the gas buoy and also sighted the Copeland Lights. The only light they saw on the Scottish coast was the Mull of Kintyre at 9.20pm and a bearing was taken but after that they saw no other Scottish lights.
21.8.1910: At 3.00am the weather became hazy and a sounding was taken which gave them 26 fathoms. That sounding indicated that they were close inshore but the skipper appeared to have assumed that they were on the Irish side of the channel. At 3.45 the weather thickened and the course, despite the log having not run its setting, was altered to SE by S which it was assumed would take the ship over towards the Scottish coast. At 4.00am with the engine running at half speed and the skipper absent from the wheelhouse consulting the chart, breakers were seen on the port bow. The engine was put full astern and the helm hard aport, but the trawler struck the rocks some 31/2 miles NW of Mull of Galloway. The trawler started to fill and going below, the skipper found that she was making water in the forecastle, bunkers and engine room. She settled quickly until only the wheelhouse and the rigging was above water. The crew in the meantime got the two boats out and all abandoned and stood off, it was not until then that they heard the siren from the Mull.. At daybreak the steam trawler NEW CROWN (GY369) belonging to the same owners, also homewards, sighted the boat and picked up the survivors. Skipper, mate and chief engineer landed at East Tarbet, Wigtownshire to standby vessel for possible salvage. NEW CROWN called Drummore to inform owners, then continued passage to Fleetwood.
22.8.1910: Survivors landed at Fleetwood.
9.1910: Declared a Total Loss and attended by Liverpool & Glasgow Salvage Association’s steam derrick barge LADY KATE (135grt/1881) and much equipment and material salvaged.
29.9.1910: The Board of Trade Inquiry into the loss of the steam trawler VIVO was opened at Liverpool Police Court. The Court heard evidence from the Skipper, Robert Wright; William Duckworth, Mate; William Harrison, Bosun; Walter Alexander Cook, Ch Eng; Albert Davies, 2nd Eng; and deckhands, William Hunter and Arthur James Morton.
3.10.1910: In summing up the Court found the stranding and serious damage to the trawler was caused by the vessel not having made her alleged course of S by E1/2E, but having instead made a course of S E by S1/2S as stated by the Bosun, William Harrison to the Receiver of Wrecks at Fleetwood, which subsequently proved to be the course made good. The Court found the skipper, Robert Wright in default and suspended his ticket for three months, but granted him a certificate as second hand for the period of his suspension.
8.10.1910: Wreck broken in two, only top of forecastle head visible at low water.
7.11.1910: Fleetwood registry closed “Ship a total wreck … ”.
Note: The remains of VIVO are close inshore approximately 500 metres south of Port Mona.
Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
17/11/2021: Information updated.