Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Sola FD369

Technical

Official Number: 141954
Yard Number: 454
Completed: 1920
Gross Tonnage: 226.84
Net Tonnage: 92
Length: 123.3 ft
Breadth: 22.1 ft
Depth: 11.6 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. Beardmore & Co Ltd, Coatbridge
Built: J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen

History

4.2.1920: Launched by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen (Yd.No.454) for New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, Fleetwood as SOLA.
20.4.1920: Registered at Fleetwood (Part I & Part IV) O.N.141954 (FD369).
4.1920: Completed. Joseph A. Taylor designated manager.
1924: William W. Brierley appointed manager.
12.1924: Arrived Torshavn, Faroe from Fleetwood (Sk. Benjamin D. Holt) with replacement propeller for GLADYS (FD423) which has lost her propeller on 13.12.1924 when fouled by trawl warp. Picked up by Norwegian steamer NOREFJORD (3082grt/1920), delivered Torshavn and beached. With only a small tidal difference at low water it was not possible to fit propeller. Decided to tow back to Fleetwood. In bad weather and with very limited food supplies the tow took five and a half days with the hawser parting twice.
13.7.1926: Sold to Harley & Miller Ltd, Liverpool.
23.7.1926: Fleetwood registry closed.
28.7.1926: Registered at Liverpool (LL45). Richard H. Jones, Wallasey designated manager.
1935: Sold to William Carnie Jnr, Glasgow.
31.12.1935: Liverpool registry closed. Registered at Granton as ZELOS (GN45). William Carnie Jnr, Glasgow designated managing owner.
1936: About 29 miles SW x W from Cape Wrath picked up boat with crew of steam trawler CHANCELLOR (A206) which had foundered. Survivors landed at Granton as Aberdeen closed due to severe weather.
18.12.1939: Foundered 112 miles E by N of May Island, Firth of Forth after being bombed and damaged by German air attack. Granton registry closed.

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
04/08/2021: Updated history and technical details.

S.T. Socrates FD163

Technical

Official Number: 123356
Yard Number: 331
Completed: 1906
Gross Tonnage: 296
Net Tonnage: 110
Length: 138.6 ft
Breadth: 23 ft
Depth: 11.8 ft
Built: Mackie & Thompson, Govan
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge

History

12.5.1906: Launched by Mackie & Thomson, Govan (Yd.No.331) for Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as SOCRATES.
12.6.1906: Registered at Hull (H885).
6.1906: Completed (William R. Leyman, manager).
10.10.1912: Sold to James H. Marr, Fleetwood for £5250.
15.11.1912: Hull registry closed.
16.11.1912: Registered at Fleetwood (FD163).
7.12.1912: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood (James H. Marr, manager).
7.1.1913: Homeward from fishing grounds (Sk.Philip Burman). In thick fog and drizzle, stranded on rocks in Clanyard Bay, Wigtownshire. Crew of eleven scaled cliffs and made their way to Drummore. At high water slipped from rocks and submerged.
1.1913: Survey by Liverpool and Glasgow Salvage Association’s steam derrick barge LADY KATE (135grt/1881) indicated little damage but offer to refloat was declined by Hull Steam Trawlers Mutual Insurance Co.
21.1.1913: Fleetwood registry closed “Total loss”. Wreck stripped.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Socrates H885

S.T. Socrates H885
Picture courtesy of Billy Worrall

S.T. Socrates FD163

S.T. Socrates FD163
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

S.T. Socrates FD163

S.T. Socrates FD163
Picture courtesy of Fred Baker

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published.
19/05/2014: Picture added.
01/06/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from images.

S.T. Soar FD155

Additional information courtesy of Ross Littlewood

Technical

Official Number: 136902
Yard Number: 609
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 219
Net Tonnage: 85
Length: 117 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 11.9 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough

History

16.3.1915: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.609) for The “Wyre” Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood as SOAR.
22.4.1915: Registered at Fleetwood (FD155) (Magnus B. J. Wedum, manager).
4.1915: Completed. Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1620). Based Swansea.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
9.1919: In collision in dock channel with CITY OF LONDON (FD201) and both vessel took the ground. Refloated on next tide.
9.1923: Attended smack LOUIE RIGBY (FD127) dismasted and in distress in heavy seas. Connected and towed (18 hours) to Milford Haven.
1935: Sold to Andrew Robertson & James S. Kelman, Aberdeen (Andrew Robertson managing owner).
29.4.1935: Fleetwood registry closed.
1.5.1935: Registered at Aberdeen (A284).
18.3.1940: Returning from coaling in Methil in darkness (coastal lights extinguished) and heavy weather, ran on reef to east of Black Waugh rocks 1 mile south of Gourdon, Kincardineshire; six crew lost*. Declared a total loss.
26.11.1940: Aberdeen registry closed “Total loss”.

Note On a stormy night, the trawler SOAR of Aberdeen foundered on the outlying reefs to the East of the rocks known as the “Black Waughs”, half a mile south of Gourdon. Her crew of six all perished.
SOAR had been south for bunker coal and was on her way back to Aberdeen when disaster struck. It being wartime there were no coastal lights to help the skipper navigate and the strong South-Easterly wind must have forced his vessel too far in.

The first sign of the wreck was discovered by a villager “raking the beach”. Daylight was just breaking when he stumbled on a body. He quickly ran back to Gourdon and alerted the Coastguards and villagers. Just as the coastguards and fisherman reached the scene they saw the trawler’s small boat drifting shorewards. Coastguard John Penny & skipper John Stewart dashed into the water and with some difficulty managed to reach the boat – sadly – it was empty.

At the time there was no sign of the vessel itself, but at low water the ship’s boiler could be seen to the east of the “Black Waughs”. Most of the bodies were recovered during the day.
“The Wild & Rocky Coast” by Roy Soutar (Roy is a Gourdon resident, ex-fisherman & whose father was Cox of the Gourdon lifeboat).

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Soar FD155

S.T. Soar FD155
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 revisions since then.
30/09/2014: Added information.
29/05/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Snipe FD168

Technical

Official Number: 108524
Yard Number: 549
Completed: 1897
Gross Tonnage: 143
Net Tonnage: 43
Length: 106 ft
Breadth: 20.5 ft
Depth: 11 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by N.E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland
Built: Edward Bros, North Shields

History

15.4.1897: Launched by Edwards Bros, North Shields (Yd.No.549) for Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd, Manchester as SNIPE.
21.5.1897: Registered at Fleetwood (FD168).
5.1897: Completed (John E. A. Kelsall & George Beeching, Fleetwood, managers).
3.1899: Transferred to Hull.
8.4.1899: Registered at Hull (H133).
12.5.1899: Fleetwood registry closed.
22.10.1904: The Dogger Bank Incident. Shelled and damaged by Russian Navy Baltic Fleet while fishing on the Dogger Bank. Russians on passage to the Pacific in the darkness opened fire on the trawlers (approx 45 vessels) under the impression that they were about to be attacked.
2.1.1911: On North sea grounds with gale force winds and heavy seas running (Sk.Griffiths). Shortly before dawn saw signals of distress from a vessel some distance away. Closed and found Norwegian barque BAMSE (957grt/??) being smashed about and helpless. Steam trawler RUFF (H34) went to her assistance and had boat launched and manned when a heavy sea struck the barque and she capsized and foundered; none of her crew seen and presumed all lost.
8.9.1911: Registered office transferred to Hull (George Beeching, Hull & John E. A. Kelsall, London, managers).
23.9.1911: Re-measured after lengthening to 119.0 ft 165g 64n.
23.9.1911: Hull registry closed and vessel registered anew in consequence of material alterations (H133).
11.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence trawler (1-3pdr) (Ad.No.384). Based Scapa.
1920: Returned to owner at Hull.
7.6.1919: John Slater, London appointed manager.
10.1921: Foundered after being involved in a collision in North Sea.
28.12.1922: Hull registry closed “Total loss”.

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
16/06/2016: Information updated.

S.T. Northward Ho A15

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3827
Official Number: 139338
Yard Number: 163
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 203.50
Net Tonnage: 87.83
Length: 115.4 ft
Breadth: 22.2 ft
Depth: 12.1 ft
Built: Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith
Engine: 430ihp T.3-cyl by Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith

History

10.1918: Launched by Hawthorns & Co Ltd, Leith (Yd.No.163) (“Strath” class) for The Admiralty as JAMES HINES (Ad.No.3827).
5.2.1919: Forms for tender to purchase received by the Admiralty.
3.1919: Sold to Benjamin Knowles, Hull.
13.5.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel for The Hollinwood Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull.
22.5.1919: Registered at Hull (Part I &IV) as JAMES HINES O.N.139338 (H56).
1927: Sold to Seaward Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Charles Hudson designated manager.
13.5.1927: Registered at Hull as NORTHWARD HO (H56).
1929: Sold to Ocean Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. George Altoft designated manager.
3.1934: Sold to George Leiper, Aberdeen (managing owner).
1.3.1934: Hull registry closed.
3.3.1934: Registered at Aberdeen (A15). George Leiper designated managing owner.
16.7.1936: Landed at Fleetwood 248 boxes £418 gross (Alex Keay, agent).
1938: Sold to W. Leiper, Aberdeen. W. Leiper designated managing owner.
11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.795) (Hire rate £63.15.0d/month).
19.3.1941: Sold to Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co Ltd & Regent Fishing Co (Aberdeen) Ltd, Aberdeen. Thomas Walker designated manager.
22.2.1946: Sold to Brixham Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood. Ralph S. Dugdall designated manager.
28.2.1946: Returned after restoration and survey at Aberdeen.
18.9.1946: Registered at Aberdeen as SMEE (A15) (MoT Minute RG No.1163/46 dated 26.8.1946).
7.1955: Sold to Jacques Bakker en Zonen, Bruges for breaking up.
28.7.1955: Delivered Bruges.
12.8.1955: Aberdeen registry closed.

(James Hines, Private, Marine, age 25, b. Wollondridge (?), Dorset – VICTORY (ML120))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Smee A15

S.T. Smee A15
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. Two updates since then.
02/07/2021: Updated history and technical details.