Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Braconvale (1) A14

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger and Andy Hall

Technical

Official Number: 180999.
Yard Number: 190
Completed: 1946
gross Tonnage: 341.35
Net Tonnage: 125.59
Length: 136.00 ft (148.00 loa)
Breadth: 24.65 ft
Depth: 13.75 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl (600ihp) by John Lewis & Sons Ltd Aberdeen Eng.No.264
Boiler: Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Scotstoun, Glasgow

History

1945: Ordered by Basil Arthur Parkes, Fleetwood. To be owned by a Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd Aberdeen subsidiary and operated out of Aberdeen.
4.12.1945: Launched by Mrs J. Doeg wife of the managing director of The Don Fishing Co Ltd. at John Lewis & Sons Ltd, Torry, Aberdeen (Yd.No.190) for The Don Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen as BRACONVALE.
19.2.1946: Builder’s Certificate issued. John S. Doeg designated manager.
20.2.1946: Trials in Aberdeen Bay.
22.2.1946: Registered at Aberdeen (A14). Skipper Alexander Ord Tevendale.
12.1946: Sold to Government of Poland, Warsaw (Ministry of Industry & Commerce) through the United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration (U.N.R.R.A). “Dalmor” Przedsiobiorstwo Polowow Dalekomorskich Sp.z.ogr.odp, Gdynia designated managers.
31.12.1946: Aberdeen registry closed.
1.1947: Registered at Gdynia as ORION (GDY106). Week commencing
9.11.1959: In collision with a Finnish registered cargo ship off the River Elbe; shell plating damaged, taking water, beached near Cuxhaven. Came off on next tide despite the fact that she was taking water and put into Cuxhaven for repairs.
8.1973: Sold to Van den Bossche & Co, Boom for breaking up. Gdynia registry closed.

Changelog
01/11/2020: Page published.

S.T. East Coast A935

Wartime visitor
Additional information courtesy of Malcolm Cook

Technical

Official Number: 123378
Yard Number: 427
Completed: 1907
Gross Tonnage: 192.47
Net Tonnage: 52.38
Length: 115.5 ft
Breadth: 21.75
Depth: 13.4 ft
Built: A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: T.3-cyl by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

1907: Launched by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.427) for The East Coast Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen as HORACE STROUD.
2.1907: Completed.
22.2.1907: Registered at Aberdeen (A122). William Anderson & James B. Taylor designated joint managers.
7.4.1910: Registered at Aberdeen as EAST COAST (A122) (BoT Minute No.7644 dated 31.3.1910).
By 1912: James Scott Jnr designated manager.
3.10.1912: At Fleetwood landed 1,200 line caught halibut, £300 gross.
11.1913: Reportedly sold to Portuguese buyers for £500 in excess of original cost; sale not concluded.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 76.73 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907. Remeasured: 115.5 x 21.75 x 13.4 feet
2.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1172). Based Stornoway.
29.4.1918: Sold to John Thomas Graham, James Bruce Graham and John Thomas Graham Jnr, all Hartlepool (joint owners (64/64).
29.4.1918: Aberdeen registry closed.
1.5.1918: Registered at Hartlepool (HL94).
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Aberdeen.
16.5.1919: Sold to The Friarage Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hartlepool.
12.11.1919: Sold to Pêcheries des Flandres, Ostend.
1.1920: Hartlepool registry closed.
1.1920: Registered at Ostend (O125). J. de Coninche designated manager.
11.1922: Sold to David Dow Noble and John Duthie, Aberdeen (joint owners (64/64)).
11.1922: Ostend registry closed.
1922: Remeasured at Aberdeen – 192.47g 73.54n.
16.11.1922: Registered at Aberdeen (A935). John Duthie designated manager.
21.11.1923: Sold to David Dow Noble (64/64), Aberdeen. David D. Dow designated managing owner.
3.1.1931: Sold to David Dow Noble and Mrs Jane Noble (joint owners (64/64)). David D. Dow designated managing owner.
16.1.1939: At about 6.30pm. steam trawler CRISABELLE STEPHEN (A374) outward from Aberdeen for fishing grounds (Sk. F. Fraser); nine crew, ran onto rocks at Scaurs of Cruden, south of Peterhead. Stood by and at about 8.00pm. when vessel came afloat under own power, EAST COAST connected and commenced 14 mile tow to Aberdeen. After an hour and a half, Sk. Fraser requested that vessel be beached, but she started to settle and foundered in under three minutes. Men were seen in the water and Wemys, a fireman from the EAST COAST, jumped in to try and save the men but had to be hauled back, one man picked up but died onboard. All nine crew members were lost.
29.8.1940: Sold to David Dow Noble (64/64), Aberdeen.
3.2.1941: Sold to The Don Trawling Co (Milford Haven) Ltd (64/64), Milford Haven.
23.2.1941: First landing at Milford.
1941 – 1944: Landing at Fleetwood intermittently as directed.
14.6.1943: At Fleetwood typical wartime landing. 144 kits. – cod-1, whiting-1, flats-20, roker-74, gurnard-3, dogs-25, sole & prime-20.
22.3.1944: Last landing at Milford before requisition.
3.1944: Requisitioned for war service for miscellaneous naval duties (Hire rate £48.0.0d/month). Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings. Fitted with portable tanks for employment as a smoke making trawler.
7.6.1944: Sent to Grimsby with defective winch.
12.10.1944: Returned to owner.
25.10.1947: Sailed Milford for Irish grounds (Sk. Sam Larner); ten crew* all told.
3.11.1947: Called Cork for additional supplies.
6.11.1947: In the afternoon on Irish grounds, some thirty miles off the Co. Cork coast, in a moderate southerly gale and confused sea, started to take in water aft. Distress call made at 5.40pm which was picked up by Mrs M. L. Blake, Ballycotton who throughout the service kept the life-boat station informed of all messages. The Ballycotton lifeboat, MARY STANFORD (Cox. Patrick Sliney) was launched at 5.50pm. Several nearby trawlers responded, including CASWELL (SA70), MILFORD VISCOUNT (M196), SLEBECH (M199) and ARTHUR CAVANAGH (M161) and a French trawler which closed and at about 7.15pm took off one crew member. Accompanied by the trawler CASWELL (Sk. Albert Wiseman), providing a radio link, the lifeboat reached the casualty at 9.15pm and found the trawler steaming slowly towards land, escorted by SLEBECH (Sk. E. E. Carter). At 11.15pm. with ingress of water gaining, Sk. Larner decided to abandon the trawler and with difficulty Cox Sliney closed and took of nine crewmen.
7.11.1947: The trawler did not founder overnight and at 6.00am, with the weather moderating, Sk. Larner was put back onboard and SLEBECH closed and connected; Sk. Larner was taken off by the lifeboat. With her after deck awash the trawler was towed to within 500yds of Ballycotton Pier and the skipper and a lifeboatman boarded to secure a line from the lifeboat which towed her into harbour, berthing at 11.00am. The EAST COAST sank alongside ten minutes later. Later salved, repaired, surveyed and returned to service.
3.1958: Sold to Thos W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Milford Haven.
8.3.1958: Arrived Castle Pill.
16.7.1958: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel broken up. Advice received from shipbreaker ”.

Crew* – All Milford unless stated. Sk.Sam Larner; E. Harding, Mate; F.R. Williams, Bosun; W. Must, Third hand; R. Perrin, Ch Eng; W. Davies, 2nd Eng; R. Huddlestone, Johnston, deckhand; E. Tippe (Polish) & J. Jones, London, firemen; J. Richards, cook.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. East Coast A935

S.T. East Coast A935
Picture courtesy of RNLI lifeboat magazine archive

Changelog
08/05/2020: Page published.
25/05/2020: Updated information and added an image.
28/05/2020: Added more information.
11/09/2021: Updated information.

S.T. Delhi LT111

Technical

Official Number: 118751
Yard Number: 28
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 171
Net Tonnage: 57
Length: 105.0 ft
Breadth: 21.2 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

14.4.1903: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.28) for The Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd (64/64), Hull as DELHI.
30.6.1903: Completed. Registered at Hull (H742). Joseph Vivian appointed manager.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 67net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
29.5.1917: Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve.
1919: Released.
28.9.1928: Robert Burton appointed manager.
16.9.1932: Charles H. Emerson appointed manager.
8.12.1933: Sold to William James, Milford Haven. William James designated managing owner.
29.11.1934: Sold to Norman J. Chamberlain, Johnston and William James, Milford Haven.
13.12.1934: In the Bristol Channel shortly before midnight, picked up from boat ten crew of Liverpool steamer PANSY (555grt/1898) which had been abandoned making water in the stokehold shortly after leaving Padstow for Fleetwood, cargo china clay.
14.12.1934: Steamed to abandoned vessel and in the early hours connected and commenced tow to Milford Haven. Delivered Milford Haven and beached. (PANSY was subsequently repaired and arrived Fleetwood on 27.12.1934).
16.7.1937: Sold to William James, Milford Haven. William James designated managing owner.
1939: Sold to H. J. Horwood, Milford Haven. H. J. Horwood designated managing owner.
19.4.1940: Sold to Pair Fishing Co Ltd, Milford Haven. Henry John Richards appointed manager. Converted for Spanish pareja trawling method.
1945: Sold to William H. Kerr, Milford Haven. William H. Kerr designated managing owner.
8.1945: To fish out of Lowestoft due to crewing problems at Milford. Hull registry closed. Registered at Lowestoft as (LT111).
11.8.1945: Last landing at Milford.
1948: Sold to William Wilcox & others, Milford Haven. William Wilcox designated managing owner.
10.1948: Returned to fish out of Milford Haven.
4.1949: Sold by auction at Milford Haven to William H. Kerr, Milford on behalf of W. H. Kerr (Ship Chandlers) Ltd, Milford Haven, for the sum of £1000. William H. Kerr appointed manager. Fishing from Lowestoft.
1950: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
7.5.1950: Best landing – 159 boxes, £590 gross.
12.1955: Returned to fish out of Milford.
30.4.1957: Last landing at Milford. Sold to BISCO and allocated to Thos. W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Castle Pill. Lowestoft registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Delhi LT111

S.T. Delhi LT111
Picture courtesy of The John Stevenson Collection

Changelog
08/04/2020: Page published.
08/04/2020: Added an image.

S.T. Sureaxe M35

Information courtesy of Andy Hall with additional information courtesy of Christine Simm

Technical

Official Number144595
Yard Number: 425
Completed: 1907
Gross Tonnage: 185.11
Net Tonnage: 84.64
Length: 112.4 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 11.7 ft
Built: Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: 400ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Hall, Russel & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

3.4.1907: Launched by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.425) for Sociedad Pescadora Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentine as UNO. Registered at Buenos Aires as UNO. F. Dumas designated manager.
Late 4.1907 sailed for Argentine. Fishing in Argentinian waters.
12.1908: New boiler fitted.
Late 3.1916: Sold in an en bloc deal (11 ships), through Hans Smith, ship brokers, Kronshtadt to the Russian Maritime Department to form part of the Arctic Ocean Flotilla; total cost 2.56m roubles. Sailed for Bristol via New York for docking and inspection.
4.1916: Arrived Bristol. Buenos Aires registry closed. At Bristol, under the direction of Mardew, Carney & Co Ltd, commenced conversion to a ‘sweeper trawler (I-75mm).
29.10.1916: Listed by Sea Department order No.209 in the Division of the Minesweeping Flotilla of the Arctic Ocean.
31.10.1916: Renamed T.31 (FSLO * Order No.465).
11.1916: Conversion completed.
Late 12.1916: Sailed Bristol for Alexandrovsk, Murmansk, Russia.
20.01.1917: Arrived Kola Bay, Murmansk. Minor repairs carried out.
2.1917: Imperial Russian Navy dissolved.
8.3.1917: Monarchy abolished.
9.3.1917: By order No.225 included in 4th Group of the Minesweeping Division.
20.9.1917: Handed over to the Division of Trawlers of FSLO Integrated Unit.
26.10.1917: Came over to the Soviets.
1918: Federated Socialist Republic formed.
27.3.1918: By order No.292, removed from the FSLO for demobilisation.
13.5.1918: Handed over to the Northern Cooperative of Military Seafarers and Employees of the Maritime Department as a trawler.
Since 7.1918: Under control of English interventionists at Murmansk.
30.7.1918: Sailed with the British Squadron for Arkhangelsk with British crew under the white ensign as SUREAXE (Ad.No.4344).
2.8.1918: Arrived Arkhangelsk.
9.1918: Returned with British Squadron to Murmansk.
11.11.1918: Armistice signed. Added to the Royal Navy list. Sailed for UK. Disarmed.
8.1919: At Newport, Mons completed fitting out for fishing under Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed as a Stm Trawler at Newport. Laid up at Brightlingsea.
11.5.1920: By order of The Admiralty, sold at auction in the Baltic Exchange, London by Messrs C. W. Kellock & Co Ltd, ship brokers, to unidentified owners.
11.5.1920: Sold to James Mearns Davidson, Aberdeen.
9.6.1920: Registered at London (Part I) as SUREAXE O.N.144595.
1920: London registry closed. Registered at Glasgow (Part IV) (GW24). James Mearns Davidson designated managing owner.
1.1926: Sold to William Baxter, Aberdeen.
1.1926: Glasgow registry closed.
8.1.1926: Registered at Aberdeen (A161). William Baxter designated managing owner.
18.2.1926: Sold to Harrow-Baxter Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen. William Baxter designated manager.
13.10.1927: Arrived Aberdeen with the steam trawler BEN LUI (A.185) in tow, picked up about 100 miles off Aberdeen disabled with broken tail shaft.
7.12.1939: Sold to John Charles Llewellyn & Joseph Leslie Yolland, Milford Haven; John Yolland Jnr, Fleetwood & Thomas Stewart Yolland, Swansea.
7.12.1939: Aberdeen registry closed.
11.12.1939: Registered at Milford (M35). John Charles Llewellyn designated manager.
1941: Sold to Mrs Ellen Mary Marsh Cubbin, Douglas, IoM.
5.5.1941: Milford registry closed.
5.1941: Registered at Douglas (DO37). Robert Alan Colby Cubbin designated manager.
17.8.1942: Requisitioned for war service and employed on miscellaneous naval duties (P.No.FY1834)(Hire rate £46.5.0d/month).
9.1942: Employed on target towing duties.
11.1945: Returned to owner at Douglas, IoM.
11.1946: Laid up at Douglas.
20.11.1946: Advertised for sale by Thomas McLaren & Co, Glasgow, ship brokers, on behalf of the owner; open for inspection at Douglas Harbour, IoM. Not sold.
1951: Sold to BISCO and allocated to West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd, Troon.
20.8.1951: Arrived Troon.
31.8.1951: Breaking commenced.
1.10.1951: Beached.
22.11.1951: Breaking completed. Douglas registry closed.

Note: * – FSLO – (ФСЛО) Флотилия Северного Ледовитого Океана – North Ice Ocean Fleet (Arctic Ocean)

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Sureaxe DO37

S.T. Sureaxe DO37
Picture courtesy of The Andy Hall Collection

Changelog
14/03/2020: New page published.
14/03/2020: Added an image.

S.T. Celtic FD322

Technical and historical information needed about this vessel. Please contact info@fleetwood-fishing-industry.co.uk

Technical

Part IV registered
Gross Tonnage: 17.35

History

11.11.1918: Registered at Fleetwood (FD322).
8.4.1919: Sold to Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, Whitehaven.
28.12.1925: Sold. Fleetwood registry closed.

Changelog
10/11/2019: Page published.