Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Loch Nevis LO349

Additional information courtesy of Milford Trawlers

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4487
Official Number: 144513
Yard Number: 317
Completed: 1920
As built 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet.
Gross Tonnage: 276
Net Tonnage: 113
Length: 123.4 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.6 ft
Built: J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields
Engine: 480ihpT.3-cyl by J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields

History

20.2.1920: Launched by J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields (Yd.No.317) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as PATRICK DONOVAN (Ad.No.4487).
1920: Allocated to the National Fishery Scheme for the setting up of the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London.
21.4.1920: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I & IV) as PATRICK DONOVAN O.N.144513 (LO349).
20.6.1920: Completed as a fishing vessel ex fishing gear.
04.07.1920 – 9.03.1921: Landing at Milford.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
1.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed. Laid up.
6.2.1922: Sold to Arthur S. Bowlby, Harlow. Leonard C. Cockrell, Milford designated manager.
20.3.1922: Registered at London as LOCH NEVIS (LO349).
22.3.1922: First landing at Milford.
1930: Edward D. W. Lawford designated manager.
9.12.1929: In very rough heavy seas and strong winds sailed Milford at 11.00 am. for the Small’s ground (Sk. George Henry Thomas). After steaming some 23 miles W by S at about 4.00 pm. a steamer was sighted on the port bow with signals of distress and sounding her whistle. Altered course but difficult to handle in the beam sea and closed the vessel on her starboard side which was in the lee. Steamer’s propeller was still turning but rudder head was hanging loose. Hailed by the ship which proved to be the Bristol steamer CATO (710grt/1914) but difficult to understand the message. In attempting to get closer and both vessels wallowing in the troughs and high wind, came in contact aft and damage to both vessels. Cleared steamer and stood off but still within hailing distance asked to connect aft to act as rudder. With two bridles connected CATO pulled away but course and speed was erratic.
10.12.1929: By about 6.30 am. a little headway had been made and weather started to ease with lights of St. Ann’s, St. Govern and Caldy visible. Shorted bridles to try and assist but course still erratic and little headway. At 10.00 am. asked steamer if he wanted to be towed and he replied in the affirmative; bridles released and recovered and tow taken up with some difficulty. Squared away and on course for Bristol Channel, SE by S making about 5 knots. Between Nash Point and Breaksea Lightship, port wire parted and speed reduced to 3 knots to clear the Point. At 7.00 pm. delivered CATO safely to anchor in Barry Roads.
12.12.1929: Having laid by at request of master of CATO, provided provisions etc. and later sailed for Milford. Repaired at Milford at a cost of £1,356 and the loss of fifty days fishing.
9.3.1930: Last landing at Milford.
22.3.1930: Transferred to Fleetwood when Edward D. W. Lawford moved his vessels to the port.
13.5.1920: In the Admiralty Division of the High Court, Mr Justice Bateson found in favour of the Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd and awarded £3,000 to the trawler, he wished he could make the award much larger. The trawler did her work like many of these trawlers had done in the most plucky and effective way and saved the CATO from a position of danger in very bad weather.
1932: Laid up at Fleetwood.
9.1932: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Basil Arthur Parkes, Blackpool designated manager.
11.1933: Sold to Soc. Anon des Pécheries Saint Pierre, Boulogne.
30.11.1933: London registry closed.
10.1933: Registered at Boulogne as SAINT SIMON (B??). P. H. Ficheux designated manager.
1934: Sold to Pêcheries de la Morinie, Boulogne. P. H. Ficheux remained manager.
8.11.1934: In North Sea, picked up disabled by steam trawler COLLINGWOOD (GY1229) but at 4.10 am. foundered some 70 miles from Grimsby. Crew of seventeen including two injured men landed later at Grimsby. Boulogne registry closed.

(Patrick Donovan, OS, age 26, b. Dublin – ROYAL SOVEREIGN (SB148))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Loch Nevis LO349

S.T. Loch Nevis LO349
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
26/12/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.
11/05/2015: Picture added.
17/12/2016: Information added.
14/04/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Lily Melling FD222

Additional information courtesy of Bob Baird, “Shipwrecks of the North of Scotland”.

Technical

Official Number: 127567
Yard Number: 394
Completed: 1908
Gross Tonnage: 246
Net Tonnage: 96
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 22.1 ft
Depth: 12.1 ft
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank, Middlesbrough
Engine: 85hp T.3-cyl by N. E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland

History

24.9.1908: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.394) for The Melling Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood as the LILY MELLING.
4.11.1908: Registered at Fleetwood (FD222). Henry Melling designated manager.
11.1908: Completed.
12.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr) (Ad.No.400). Based Stornoway.
26.9.1915: At 1.20 pm. Base received a W/T S.O.S. from HMS CARIBBEAN (5825grt/accomodation ship) on passage to Scapa Flow, in a heavy NE gale off Cape Wrath taking in water. At anchor in Loch Inchard, ordered to sail along with armed trawlers PRINCESS ALICE (Ad.No.2655) (SN15), IJUIN (Ad.No.2669) (CF35) and two armed yachts. Due to stress of weather yachts turned back and the three trawlers arrived at the casualty at 3.00 pm and stood by as crew of HMS CARIBBEAN attempted to stem ingress of water. At 9.00 pm. light cruiser HMS Birkenhead (P.No.9A) arrived on the scene but because of the weather could not approach to connect for tow. At midnight, with the casualty listing heavily to port it was decided to abandon and PRINCESS ALICE picked up some men swimming and one boat. With PRINCESS ALICE, boats from HMS BIRKENHEAD were towed to windward, allowed them to veer down on the casualty and together they took one officer and 45 men onboard bringing them to Stornoway.
27.9.1915: IJUIN stood by the wreck until she foundered at 7.15 am; fifteen men still missing. (Tug FLYING KESTREL (516grt/1913) ordered from Scapa had failed to find the casualty but took survivors from Stornoway to Scapa).
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner.
14.11.1919: Sold to Thomas F. Kelsall, Henry Robertson & Henry Blackburn, Fleetwood (Henry Blackburn, managing owner).
15.2.1920: Sold to Selby Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood ( Henry Blackburn, manager).
12.3.1929: On morning tide outward for fishing grounds, ashore west side of Wyre channel. Run into by steam trawler YARMOUTH (FD334) which grounded on a groyne.
3.12.1929: Ran aground in Islay Sound and abandoned as a total loss.
23.12.1929: Fleetwood registry closed.
1930: Salved and repaired.
1933: Sold to William Gove, Torry, Aberdeen (managing owner).
18.9.1933: Registered at Aberdeen as GARELOCH (A.276).
18.8.1935: Left Methil after bunkering (100 tons). In dense fog stranded at Billow Ness near Anstruther bathing pool.* Badly holed and declared a CTL; broken up in situ.
20.9.1935: Aberdeen registry closed.
16.12.1935: BoT formal inquiry at the Sheriff Court, Aberdeen.

August 19 1935* Ran aground near Anstruther bathing pool in dense fog on the morning of 18 August. She had loaded over 100 tons of coal at Methil and was on her way back to Aberdeen with a skeleton crew when she ran aground and was badly holed.
When the tide receded she heeled sharply over on her port side, and one member of the crew was thrown on to the rocks, sustaining two broken ribs. The trawler lay so close to the shore that a number of visitors to the swimming pool swam out and boarded the vessel. With the return of the high tide in the evening she could not be refloated.
Declared CTL and broken up in situ. A boiler at 5612°910N, 0242°430W recorded by Maritime Fife during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, Kincardine to Fife Ness in 1996, may be all that remains of the GARELOCH.

Note ** Excerpt from the forthcoming book: “Shipwrecks of the Forth and Tay”.
Wreck No: 159
Latitude: 56 12 56 N Longitude: 02 42 24 W
GPS Lat: 5612.939 N GPS Long: 0242.404 W
Location: Billowness, Pittenweem Area: Elie

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Lily Melling FD222

S.T. Lily Melling FD222
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

S.T. Lily Melling FD222

S.T. Lily Melling FD222
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Lily Melling FD222

S.T. Lily Melling FD222
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

Changelog
25/12/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.
19/08/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
08/04/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Lily FD192

Technical

Official Number: 109663
Yard Number: 431
Completed: 1898
Gross Tonnage: 181
Net Tonnage: 47
Length: 105 ft
Breadth: 21 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Earl’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

History

13.1.1898: Launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull (Yd.No.431) for Fleetwood Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood as LILY.
7.1898: Completed.
20.8.1898: Registered at Fleetwood (FD192), George E. J. Moody appointed manager.
1906: Re-measured 179g 67n.
1906: New boiler fitted.
11.1906: Sold to Société des Pêcheries de l’Océan, Arcachon (Ch. Olivari, manager).
26.11.1906: Fleetwood registry closed.
1906: Registered at Bordeaux as GRÈBE.
Pre 1915: Sold to Soc. Immobiliére du Moulleau et des Pêcheries de la Océan, Bordeaux (M. Camproger, manager).
1918: New boiler fitted.
Pre1927: Sold to Soctiété des Pêcheries de l’Ocean, Arcachon (Ch. Oliveri, manager).
Pre1930: Sold to N. Melchiorre di P., Rome. Registered at Rome as GLORIA.
1931: Refitted.
1949: Sold for breaking up.

S.T. Leyland FD291

Technical

Official Number: 139215
Yard Number: 659
Completed: 1916
Gross Tonnage: 236
Net Tonnage: 90
Length: 117.4 ft
Breadth: 22.6 ft
Depth: 11.3 ft
Engine: 78rhp T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Speed: 10.5 knots
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough

History

23.12.1916: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.659) for The Palatine Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood as LEYLAND.
26.3.1917: Registered at Fleetwood (FD291) (Magnus B. J. Wedum, manager).
3.1917: Completed. Requisitioned from the builders for war service and fitted out as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.3026). Based at Le Havre.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
15.3.1927: Homeward after a successful trip on the West of Scotland grounds (Sk. F. Sebons); twelve crew. In heavy weather and gale force winds struck Horlisgeir Rock, North Uist and holed. Crew stayed with vessel but as list increased abandoned in lifeboat and reached shore 2 miles away.
3.1927: Salvage attempted but declared a CTL.
22.4.1927: Fleetwood registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Leyland FD291

S.T. Leyland FD291
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
25/12/2005: Page published. 5 updates since then.
25/05/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Lena Melling (1) FD189

Technical

Official Number: 139205
Yard Number: 620
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 274
Length: 125.0 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.1 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by N. E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland
Built: Cochrane & Sons, Selby

History

22.10.1915: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.620) for For Melling Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood as LENA MELLING.
22.11.1915: Registered at Fleetwood (FD189). Henry Melling, Preston appointed manager.
11.1915: Completed. Requisitioned from the builders for war service and fitted out as a minesweeper (1-3pdr) (Ad.No.3223).
23.4.1916: Based Sheerness. Mined and lost near the Elbow Light Buoy off Broadstairs, Kent. Mine laid by U.boat (UC7). Eleven crew lost, three survivors.
8.6.1916: Fleetwood registry closed “Lost in Admiralty service”.

(Lost – Ty/Sk. George Horne; John L. Jones, 2nd Hand; John E. Burton & John W. Lambert, Enginemen; James R. Butchart, Charles S. Cotton, James R. Irvine, David A. L. Sherritt, Richard Stewardson, deckhands; Thomas R. Robson & Alexander C. Taylor, trimmers.)

Changelog

25/12/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.