Author Archives: Bill Johnson

S.T. Friesland – GY459

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger, Jan Harteveld and Birgir Þórisson

Technical

Official Number: 110904
Yard Number: 124
Completed: 1899
Gross Tonnage: 268
Net Tonnage: 121
Length: 125.0 ft
Breadth: 22.1 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Built: Dundee Shipbuilders’ Co Ltd, Dundee
Engine: T.3-cyl (540ihp) and boiler by Cooper & Greig, Dundee

History

1899: Launched by Dundee Shipbuilders’ Co Ltd, Dundee (Yd.No.124) for The Grimsby Castle Line Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby as BALMORAL CASTLE.
8.1899: Completed as a well vessel.
25.8.1899: Registered at Grimsby (GY530).
25.8.1899: Robert W. Windeatt designated manager.
11.1907: New boiler by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton.
6.1908: Sold to Stoomvisscherij Mij Friesland, IJmuiden through Maatschappij tot Beheer van Steamtrawlers en Andere Vaartuigen.
23.6.1908: Registered at IJmuiden as FRIESLAND (IJM16). A. G. Meeuwenoord Jnr & A. de Vries designated managers.
29.6.1908: Grimsby registry closed.
9.2.1909: IJmuiden registration withdrawn by Lord Mayor of Velsen on legal grounds; owners informed but did not agree.
5.1909: Sold to Arthur Smith, Grimsby.
5.5.1909: Registered at Grimsby (GY459).
5.5.1909: Alick Black designated manager. Converted to a trawler. Well closed by rivets. Fishing from Fleetwood.
20.2.1911: Arrived Fleetwood with 600 boxes of hake caught off the Moroccan coast, £600 – £700 gross.
1914: Sold to Henry Burns and W. Burns, Grimsby for the sum of £4,000.
12.1914: Requisitioned for war service and converted to a boom defence vessel (1-12pdr).
1917: Sold to The Zaree Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby for the sum of £9,000. Henry Burns designated manager.
9.1919: Returned to owners without being reconditioned, the company being allowed £3,630 for the necessary reconditioning work.
10.10.1919: Sailed Grimsby on first trip after reconditioning.
6.1920: Dry-docked for inspection, cleaning and painting.
12.1920: Laid up in Alexandra Dock which was also the timber pound.
6.5.1921: Manager ordered vessel prepared for sea, intending to make one trip to avoid dock dues. Engineering Superintendent, Mr Waddingham, advised dry-docking to inspect bottom but this was not pursued by the manager.
7.5.1921: Steam raised.
11.5.1921: Insured with Lloyds for the sum of £10,000 for one month from this date. Book value £6,000.
12.5.1921: Sailed Grimsby at 9.30am. for North Sea grounds (Sk. Henry Ormonde); ten hands all told. Weather fine, sea calm and slight SE breeze. Shortly after noon, deckhand Anderson went into the engine room to see his friend the 2nd Eng and noticed water in the bilge and the engine connecting rod bottom ends were splashing in water as they revolved. The 2nd responded saying, “Yes, the ship is leaking”. The water ingress was not reported to the skipper. At dinner shortly after 1.00pm. the third hand asked the 2nd how the ship was going and he replied, she was “ leaking like a basket”. The third hand asked if it was a case of going back but the 2nd replied that he did not know. This conversation was confirmed by others present. The skipper was not informed. At 2.00pm. the trimmer, John Love, who had listened to the conversation after dinner went into the engine room to get a lamp and observed that the cranks were splashing around in the crank pit. At 3.45pm. the Ch Eng noticed a knocking in the high pressure crank bearing and asked the second hand who was on watch to stop the ship so he could inspect and tighten up. The nuts were tightened, and the engine restarted but after about twenty minutes the 2nd called for the Ch Eng. and on arriving in the engine room saw that water was rushing in. The ejector and the donkey pump was started but the water was quickly over the plates and the shipside valve for the ejector was under water and could not be opened up. In the stokehold the water had risen so much that the boiler could not be fired. The skipper was called and on seeing the amount of water, knee deep over the engine room plates, ran on deck and by steam whistle and flag signalled the steam trawler NAIRANA (H528) which had just overtaken them, to come to their assistance. The NAIRANA some three miles away immediately turned and came within hailing distance. The crew had set to work with the hand pump and buckets but were quite unable to deal with the ingress of water. The water rose and put out the fires and shortly after the engine stopped. The NAIRANA came alongside, connected and for about three-quarters of an hour towed towards the coast but the vessel started to settle and the skipper thought it advisable to let go the tow line and he and the crew got into the boat which they had previously turned out. At about 6.15pm. they all boarded the NAIRANA. At about this time the Hull trawler TANJORE (H759), homeward from the fishing grounds came on the scene. The three skippers and the mate and Ch Eng of the FRIESLAND went back onboard but it was evident that nothing could be done to save the ship. At about 7.30pm. the FRIESLAND foundered sinking stern first in position about 25 miles NE1/2E from Spurn lightship. The crew transferred to the TANJORE and proceeded to Hull, the FRIESLAND crew later transferring to the Grimsby trawler ELITE (GY100) which landed them safely at Grimsby with most of their belongings.
12.5.1921: Grimsby registry closed. “Vessel foundered”.
5.9.1921: Following the formal investigation held at Grimsby (S.346), the Court found that the FRIESLAND was lost by foundering in consequence of the inrush of water, the cause of which the Court is compelled to leave undetermined. The Court also considers Mr. Henry Burns to blame for not accepting Mr. Waddingham’s suggestion that she should be dry-docked and thoroughly examined before she went to sea and ordered him to pay £200 towards the costs of the Inquiry. The Chief and 2nd Engineers deserve severe censure for not having informed the skipper that the vessel was making water at a much earlier time than they did. Their default in this matter greatly reduced the chance of the vessel being turned round and regaining the land before foundering.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Friesland GY459

S.T. Friesland GY459
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
24/01/2016: Page published.
28/01/2016: Picture added and information updated.
12/03/2018: Information updated.
14/10/2020: Updated history.

S.T. Earl Hereford – GY147

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow, David Slinger, Birgir Þórisson and Finn Björn Guttesen

Technical

Official Number: 123569
Yard Number: 110
Completed: 1906
Gross Tonnage: 258.77
Net Tonnage: 110.69
Length: 128.4 ft
Breadth: 22.0 ft
Depth: 11.82 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley
Engine: 465ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes Ltd, Hull

History

10.4.1906: Launched by Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley (Yd.No.110) for The Earl Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as EARL HEREFORD.
18.6.1906: Completed.
18.6.1906: Registered at Grimsby (GY147).
18.6.1906: Alick Black appointed manager.
Pre 1911: Fishing from Fleetwood.
14.1.1911: Inwards from fishing grounds grounded in Wyre Channel.
12.1912: Sold to Christian M. Evensen, Thorshavn, Faroe Islands.
21.12.12: Grimsby registry closed.
12.1912: Registered at Thorshavn (TN24).
2.1915: Sold to Sk. Halldor Kr. Thorsteinsson (1/2 share) and Hf. Eggert Ólafsson (1/2 share), Reykjavik for the sum of £5,700. Thorshavn registry closed. Registered at Reykjavik (RE157).
8.1917: Sold to Marine Francais for the sum of 400,000 Icelandic krónur along with nine other Icelandic trawlers (partly paid for in kind, by coal and salt, the lack of which had largely ground the Icelandic fishing industry to a halt). Employed as an auxiliary patrol vessel. Reykjavik registry closed. Renamed GUENON.
1919: Sold to F. Evan, Lorient. Registered at Lorient as PEN-er-VRO.
1925: Sold to L. Ballias & Cie, Lorient. Registered at Lorient as RAUZAN.
1936: Sold to G. Gautier, E. & A. Gautier Fils & Cia, Lorient.
1942: Requisitioned by Kriegsmarine as an auxiliary (P.No.V421).
4.6.1944: Lost during invasion of Europe.
1951: Salvaged and broken up.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Earl Hereford GY147

S.T. Earl Hereford GY147
Picture courtesy of The Birgir Þórisson Collection

Changelog
24/01/2016: Page published.
28/01/2016: Picture added and information updated.
08/04/2016: Information updated.
10/02/2019: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
02/07/2021: Updated the Faroese PLN.

S.D/T. Excel IV – LT171 (Seasonal)

Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham

Technical

Official Number: 139887
Admiralty Number: 4149
Yard Number: 500
Gross Tonnage: 96
Net Tonnage: 41
Length: 86.2 ft
Breadth: 18.5 ft
Depth: 9.3 ft
Built: John Chambers & Co Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft
Engine: 270ihp T.3-cyl by Crabtree & Co Ltd, Southtown, Gt Yarmouth
Boiler: Thomas Sudron & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees

History

1919: Launched by John Chambers & Co Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft (Yd.No.500) (“Admiralty drifter”) for The Admiralty as DISTANCE (Ad.No.4149).
20.1.1920: Completed as a fishing vessel.
1920: Transferred to Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, London for disposal.
8.1920: Sold to Robert Boyle, North Shields.
26.8.1920: Registered at North Shields as LEONARD BOYLE (SN45). Robert Boyle designated managing owner.
1926: Sold to James R. Duthie, Andrew Duthie, Archibald Ritchie, Rosehearty; Alex Duthie, Andrew Duthie, Glasgow; Gilbert Peterkin, Richard Irvin & Sons Ltd, Fraserburgh.
28.4.1926: North Shields registry closed.
30.4.1926: Registered at Fraserburgh as DUNDARG (FR212). James R. Duthie, Rosehearty designated managing owner.
1938: Sold to Jane A. Duthie, Rosehearty.
1938: Sold to M. C. Lough & George Lough, Eyemouth. Fraserburgh registry closed. Registered at Berwick as EXCEL IV (BK260). James Lough designated managing owner.
3.10.1939: Requisitioned for war service and employed on port duties. (Hire rate £32.0.0d/month).
6.1940: Employed on transport duties.
8.1940: Based Kirkwall. Employed on miscellaneous naval duties.
7.1942: Based Anstruther. Employed on torpedo recovery and as a boom tender.
1945: Sold to Jackora Ltd, Lowestoft.
2.1946: Berwick registry closed.
7.2.1946: Registered at Lowestoft (LT171). Arthur C. Mitchell, Milford Haven appointed manager.
1950: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
13.4.1950: Best landing – 83 boxes £550 gross.
1955: Sold to Belgian shipbreakers.
22.5.1955: Sailed Lowestoft for Antwerp (Sk. Gowan) towing steam drifter JACKORA (LT129) also for breaking.
28.6.1955: Lowestoft registry closed.

Changelog
27/11/2015: Page Published.
10/02/2019: Minor update.
09/08/2020: Updated history.

S.T. Talifoo – H1425

Additional information courtesy of Geoff Davidson, Mike Thompson, Barry Banham and Hull Trawlers

Technical

Official Number: 91398
Completed: 1885
Gross Tonnage: 91.46
Net Tonnage: 62.19
Length: 86.7 ft
Breadth: 20.2 ft
Depth 9.8 ft
Built: Beeching Brothers Ltd, Gt. Yarmouth
Engine: C.2-cyl x 2 and boiler by Baird, St. Petersburg (built 1883)

History

1.1885: Launched by Beeching Brothers Ltd, Gt. Yarmouth (Yd.No.not recorded) for George Beeching (32/64), Hull & Thomas Kelsall (32/64), Prestwich as TALIFOO.
2.1885: Completed.
3.2.1885: Registered at Hull (H1425).
3.2.1885: George Beeching designated managing owner.
20.2.1885: Ran trials from Yarmouth prior to delivery at Hull.
2.4.1887: Arrived Hull with barque CARDENAS (259tons) of Rostock (Capt Karff) in tow, picked up off Flamborough Head dismasted in a squall, whilst on passage Wilmington, Delaware for ‘Shields with cargo of resin and turpentine. Tow was difficult in gale force winds and heavy sees and cable parted several times.
28.2.1888: Sailed Hull for North Sea grounds (Sk. William Clements): eight crew all told.
8.3.1888: Returning to Hull in a good breeze and light rain with the third hand on watch, shortly after 4.30am. and in total darkness some 120 miles from Spurn Head, observed a small vessel immediately ahead on the starboard tack, no lights visible. Put engines astern and ported helm but before way was off her, struck the schooner amidships port side cutting into her about four feet. The schooner was the Norwegian HAABET of Brovig, out of Newcastle for Nariaga, cargo coals. The master of the schooner jumped onboard the trawler, the crewman who had been at the helm shouted to the mate and AB below deck and started to launch the boat, but the schooner foundered in eight to ten minutes, and all three men were left in the water. Hearing shouts, the boat was launched and the helmsman was picked up from the water and a search was made in the area for two and a half hours for the other two men but to no avail.
9.3.1888: Arrived Hull and landed survivors.
23.3.1888: At the BoT formal Investigation (No.3498) held at Hull the Court found the third hand of the TALIFOO, in default but the master in no respect to blame.
21.4.1889: At Hull landed captain and crew of the Danish schooner CARL EMIL. The schooner had left a Swedish port for West Hartlepool on 13.4 with a cargo of pit props and experienced a strong N breeze initially but on 19.4 a gale sprang up from the SW and labouring she started to take in water and later was dismasted. Signals of distress were hoisted and the Talifoo responded taking off the crew.
20.4.1892: Reported the death of a crewman Joseph Ketley (25) of Hull. On a North Sea trip, whilst assisting to heave the gear and guiding the warp with a tackle on the drum of the winch, Ketley’s foot caught between the tackle block and the winch and he was dragged with the warp under the winch. The winch was stopped but Ketley, with the lower part of his body badly mutilated was already dead.
1893?: Fishing from Fleetwood, catches sent by rail to Manchester and Liverpool Wholesale Fish Markets.
31.10.1894: Sailed Fleetwood for North Shields (Sk. John Dier); nine hands all told.
2.11.1894: At about 2.00am. in very hazy weather and thick rain, Ardnamurchan Point Light was made and vessel steamed towards it until the light was ESE. The course was then altered to NNE and continued until the light bore SE. No attempt was made to take a bearing and plot the position. At about 3.33am. vessel was heaved to until daylight with engines stopped and under plain sail with a heading SW to WSW. Wind was blowing strong from the south. The light was astern at a distance judged to be five to seven miles. It was expected the vessel would drift to the NW. At 3.40am. the skipper left the deck leaving orders to be called when when the light bore S or SbyE. At 5.00am the skipper was called and found the light S and the vessel had drifted NE and not NW. Engines were started half ahead and vessel kept on a WNW course but by 6.00am. the light was lost and the vessel was again hove to heading to the SW. At 6.30am. land was sighted astern just off the quarter at a distance of 1 to 11/2 miles. The skipper assumed that the island was Rum and putting the helm hard up steamed for what he thought was Canna Sound. The island was Muck and the vessel was attempting to steam between the island and the Horse Rocks which are connected by a ridge of rocks covered at high water. At 8 – 81/2 knots the vessel struck the ridge and came fast. At low water examination showed that the keel was broken and three blades of the propeller was missing.
3.11.1894: At 3.00pm. the weather started to deteriorate and the crew was taken off by a local boat.
5.11.1894: Following high winds and breaking seas the vessel had become a total wreck.
21.11.1894: Hull registry closed “Wrecked”.
29.11.1894: Reported that the Salvage Association had purchased the wreck.
30.11.1894: At the BoT formal Investigation (S93) held at Liverpool the court found that “The stranding of the vessel was due to the neglect of the master to verify his position off Ardnamurchan Point, and to use the lead; the Court is also of opinion that the master was not warranted in assuming that he had made the distance from Ardnamurchan Point to the island of Rum by 7.00am. considering the way in which the vessel had been navigated during the night. The subsequent loss of the vessel was due to heavy weather.” The skipper, John Dier was in default, and the Court suspended his certificate for six months.

Note: With the advent of the steam trawlers, the Talifoo built for Mr George Beeching, about 1885, was the first of the present kind – it is easier to battle against storms and loss of life has been reduced to as nearly the minimum as possible, and what is vital importance, inhumanity was buried with the birth of the steam trawler.

Changelog
23/11/2015: Page published.
26/11/2015: Information added.
13/12/2015: Updated information.
07/08/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Mary Heeley LT308

Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham

Technical

Official Number: 165441
Yard Number: 324
Completed: 1937
Gross Tonnage: 162.14
Net Tonnage: 60
Length: 101.2 ft
Breadth: 21.2 ft
Depth: 10.3 ft
Built: Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole
Engine: 350ihp T.3-cyl by Crabtree (1931) Ltd, Southtown, Gt. Yarmouth
Boiler: Chemical Engineers & Riley Brothers (Boilermakers) Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees

History

12.02.1937: Launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole (Yd.No.324) for The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, London as Sir EDWARD P. WILLS.
31.3.1937: Registered at London (LO197).
4.1937: Completed at a cost of £9,500. Herbert K. Archibald appointed manager.
23.4.1937: Vessel sponsored by W D H O Wills Ltd, Bristol (tobacco company) and dedicated at Brixham. First skipper H. W. Thorpe, Lowestoft.
2.9.1939: Requisitioned for war service and employed on examination service (Hire rate – free).
8.1943: Employed on miscellaneous naval duties.
28.8.1945: Returned to owner.
1947: Sold to Vigilant Fishing Co Ltd, Lowestoft for the sum of £10,000.
17.7.1947: Registered at Lowestoft (LT308).
20.8.1947: London registry closed.
21.8.1947: Registered at Lowestoft as MARY HEELEY (LT308) (BoT Minute dated 6.8.1947). David F. Cartwright, MBE MC appointed manager.
1949-1950: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood (Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd managing agents).
23.6.1949: Best landing – 73 boxes £823 gross.
24.4.1950: Last landing at Fleetwood – 125 boxes £719 gross.
26.4.1950: Sailed Fleetwood for Irish Sea grounds (Sk. “Bubbles“ Long): ten crew total.
29.4.1950: In thick fog arrived Douglas, IoM to seek medical attention for an injured man.
At 11.30pm. in improving visibility sailed Douglas to resume fishing, setting a course ENE. A little while later struck a rock and lost propeller fetching up on the rocks at Howstrake, Onchan. An SOS was sounded on the whistle and a local man pinpointed her position informing the Life Saving Corps and Douglas lifeboat.
30.4.1950: In the early hours crew taken off by Douglas lifeboat and landed at Douglas. In deteriorating weather started to break up and became a total loss.
11.5.1950: Lowestoft registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

Sir Edward P Wills LO197

Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197

S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197

S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture courtesy of The Greenday Collection

Changelog
20/11/2015: Page published.
10/02/2019: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
11/02/2019: Added an image.
15/02/2019: Added an image.