In Boston (Fleetwood) ownership. Did not fish from the port

Technical

Official Number: 182661
Yard Number: 222
Completed: 1950
Gross Tonnage: 773
Net Tonnage: 278
Length: 190.6 ft
Breadth: 32.2 ft
Depth: 15.7 ft
Built: J. Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: 1271ihp T.3-cyl by J. Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen (E.No.299)
Boiler: John G. Kincaid & Co Ltd, Greenock

History

1950: Launched by J. Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.222) for Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood as BOSTON FURY.
31.8.1950: Trials.
9.1950: Completed.
9.1950: Registered at Grimsby (GY153). Basil Arthur Parkes appointed manager.
6.9.1950: Sailed Aberdeen. To fish out of Grimsby.
8.10.1950: Outward for fishing grounds off Norwegian coast (Sk. John Hobbs) in severe weather conditions, wind SW Force 9 and heavy seas. Shortly after 11.00 am. responded to distress call from London registered steamer FRED BORCHARD (1586grt/1935) (Capt Thomas Eggleston) Tromso (loaded at Mezen, Russia and Kem, Norway) for Thames with sawn timber, disabled with loss of steam, flooding and listing. Ship was some 25 miles away and on arrival at scene at approx. 1.34 pm., approached vessel surrounded by floating timber from deck stowage and listing to port but could not get alongside. Fired line over vessel which was secured but parted as steamer lurched over to starboard. In so doing the starboard lifeboat floated clear and a crew member jumped in. Came round stern of vessel and picked up man from boat at which time vessel came over on her beam ends. Crew members, all wearing lifejackets, jumped into the water as the vessel capsized. With superb seamanship Sk. Hobbs went in amongst the floating timber and with five of the trawler’s crew on lifelines on the timber succeeded in picking up twenty-seven of the twenty-nine man crew *. Position of capsize, 67.16N 11.11E, vessel finally grounding on Mosken Island, Norway. Hull steam trawler St. ALCUIN (H125) remained on scene until darkness fell searching for the two missing men but in vain.
9.10.1950: Survivors landed at Harstad, Norway.
1953: Made three trips to Greenland fishery.
4.1955: Sold to P/F Dagsbrun, Thorshavn, Faroe Islands (Esmo Fuglo, manager).
1955: Re measured 799g 272n.
4.1955: Grimsby registry closed.
4.1955: Registered at Thorshavn as FISKANES (TN50).
1965: Sold to Looker Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen crewed and operated by Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd (B. A. Parkes, managers) from Hull.
1965: Thorshavn registry closed.
1965: Re measured 760g 269n 185’ 0” x 32’ 0” x 16’ 9”.
1965: Registered at Hull as Boston Fury (H252).
30.3.1965: Sailed Hull for Iceland, first trip for Boston (Sk. S. Eddoms).
21.4.1965: At Hull landed 987 kits £5,230 gross.
26.3.1966: Sailed Hull for White Sea/Norway Coast (Sk. J. Littleprend).
18.4.1966: At Hull, last landing 2,277 kits £8,416 gross. Transferred to Grimsby.
7.1966: Sold to Weelsby Trawlers Ltd, Grimsby (Fred B. Parkes, manager).
7.1966: Hull registry closed.
7.1966: Registered at Grimsby (GY111).
7.1966: Registered at Grimsby as BRANDUR (GY111).
24.4.1967: On an Icelandic trip (Sk. Bernard Newton) off SW coast, boarded and arrested by gunboat Odinn (882grt/1960) on alleged fishery charges and escorted to Reykjavik.
29.4.1967: In early morning sailed Reykjavik with two Icelandic police onboard, locked in cabin. Repainted PLN (H252).
30.4.1967: After air/sea search, arrested by gun boat Odinn and at 9.30 pm. returned to Reykjavik.
2.5.1967: Fire in after store room, extinguished. Eight crew members arrested, drunk and disorderly.
3.5.1967: Sk. Newton in court.
6.5.1967: Sk. Newton sentenced to three months in prison for having by force and threats of violence left harbour while a case against him for illegal fishing was pending. Found guilty of illegal fishing and fined 300,000 kroner (c£3,000) with catch and gear confiscated (383,000 kroner). On surety of £100,000 (£10,000?) by Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd pending appeal allowed to leave Iceland. Sailed Reykjavik for fishing grounds.
1968: Sold for breaking up.
10.1968: Grimsby registry closed.

Note: * – BoT Formal Investigation (No.7974) held at London dated 18 Jan 1952: “ During the Inquiry, tributes to the rescue work performed by the master and crew of the steam trawler “Boston Fury” were paid by all parties, and the Court would like to place on record its opinion that the rescue of 27 out of 29 of the members of the crew of the “Fred Borchard” was a highly commendable piece of work involving skilful seamanship and personal risk.

Read the full BOT report on the loss of Fred Borchard here

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Boston Fury GY153
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Brandur GY153
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Boston Fury GY153
Picture courtesy of The Greenday Collection

S.T. Brandur GY111
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
01/11/2010: Page published. 4 revisions since then.
24/08/2014: Picture 3 added.
22/11/2016: Information updated and BOT report added.
10/09/2019: Updated information.