Category Archives: Steamers (Picture)

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT253

Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham and Christine Simm

Technical

Official Number: 162956
Yard Number: 245
Gross Tonnage: 116.76
Net Tonnage: 52.84
Length: 94.3 ft
Breadth: 28.7 ft
Depth: 11.6 ft
Engine: 280ihp T.3-cyl by S. Richards & Co Ltd, Lowestoft
Boiler by Riley Brothers (boilermakers) Ltd, Stockton on Tees

History

Note: Last steam drifter built in England

1931: Launched by S. Richards & Co Ltd, Lowestoft (Yd.No.245) for Alan Howard Watson, Lowestoft as MERBREEZE.
9.1931: Completed at a cost of £6,550. Allan Howard Watson designated managing owner.
24.9.1931: Registered at Lowestoft (LT253).
1930s: Seasonal white fish trawling from Padstow and Fleetwood. (William Head, Lowestoft, managing agent).
3.5.1932: Sold to P. W. Watson & Sons Ltd, Lowestoft. Alan Howard Watson designated manager.
6.11.1933: At Lowestoft landed 250,000 herring (50 tons), a new port record. With 150 Drifters landing, the Scottish fisher girls were called in to work in the curing yards long before daylight and continued far into the night.
21.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeping drifter (P.No.FY.953) (Hire rate £69.3.6d/month).
6.1940: Based Swansea (Ty/Sk. W. G. A. Thompson RNR).
1.1942: Based Londonderry (Ty/Lieut. H. Wright RNVR).
11.6.1943: Compulsorily acquired by M.O.W.T. Re-deployed as a minesweeping drifter.
6.8.1943: Lowestoft registry closed.
10.1944: Employed on miscellaneous Naval duties.
4.1946: Transferred to Ministry of Transport.
1947: Sold to P. W. Watson & Sons Ltd, Lowestoft. Allan H. Watson designated manager.
27.2.1948: Registered at Lowestoft (LT365) after refurbishment.
26.5.1951: Sailed Newlyn for Lowestoft (Sk. Albert Bailey) having earned a record £8,000 in the 12 to 14 week mackerel fishery, though the weather was poor, hardly ever a fine night throughout. Her best catch fetched £710.
23.7.1925: At Peterhead (Sk. Albert Bailey) landed the season’s record haul, 230 crans of herring – more than 200,000 fish and fetched £650 for a single night’s fishing. Several boats operating out of Fraserburgh suffered severe loss when their nets sank with the weight of fish.
22.3.1955: Sailed Newlyn for the fishing grounds and when off the Seven Stones Light Vessel, caught in the 96 mph gale that swept the Western Approaches that night and the following morning.
23.3.1955: Returned to Newlyn with damage.
27.7.1955: Sold to The Breeze Co (Lowestoft) Ltd, Lowestoft. Allan H. Watson, Beccles designated manager.
12.10.1955: Returning to Lowestoft from the herring fishery (Sk. Arthur Bailey), when some three miles off Lowestoft in dense fog, in collision with the Middlesbrough registered steamer NORTHUMBRIAN COAST (1180grt/1935). Both vessels damaged forward and MERBREEZE skipper and two crew injured. Berthed at Lowestoft with stem twisted and bow shell plates set in. Slipped at Lowestoft for repair.
13.10.1955: NORTHUMBRIAN COAST berthed at Smith’s Dock, North Shields with considerable damage to starboard bow which will take two to three weeks to repair.
25.2.1958: Sold to Charles Henry Eastick, Gt. Yarmouth.
23.4.1958: Reported fishing on the Aberdeen grounds and landing into that port.
3. 4. 1959: Arrived Fish Quay, North Shields on passage to the Aberdeen fishing grounds. Coaled and left some of her nets in storage for the forthcoming herring season off the Tyne.
2.7.1959: Sold to Merbreeze Ltd, Lowestoft. John George Mitchell, designated manager.
14.10.1959: Surveyed and re measured 122g 42n.
14.10.1959: Completed conversion to motor by Richards Ironworks Ltd, Lowestoft and fitted with 6-cyl 360bhp 4 stroke oil engine by Ruston & Hornsby Ltd, Lincoln.
28.10.1959: Trials on completion of conversion to motor.
4.7.1964: Sk. George Turrell forced to give up his job having previously been affected by the ‘Dogger Bank itch’ (a skin condition characterised by a long-lasting dermatitis caused by exposure to the sea chervil when handling nets).
26.11.1975: Sold to Colne Fishing Co Ltd, Luton, in an en bloc deal with HOSANNA (LT167) and TRITONIA (LT188). John Leggett, Lowestoft, designated manager.
18.12.1975: Lowestoft registry (Part IV) closed “Vessel no longer fishing”. Stripped of all usable parts including main engine.
1975: Engine removed, rebuilt by L.B.S. Engineering Ltd, Lowestoft and fitted in offshore platform standby safety vessel KINGFISH.
1976: Sold to T. G. Darling, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, in an en bloc deal with HOSANNA (LT167) and TRITONIA (LT188), for breaking up by East Anglian Reclamation Ltd at Nelson Wharf, Lake Lothing, Lowestoft.
13.10.1976: Lowestoft registry (Part I) closed “Vessel broken up”.

Click to enlarge images

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture courtesy of The Barry Banham maritime photo Collection

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture from the Internet

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT253
Picture from the Internet

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture courtesy of The Robert Durrant Collection

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture courtesy of The Barry Banham maritime photo Collection
Repairs after collision with NORTHUMBRIAN COAST

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT253
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

M.T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture from the Internet

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture courtesy of The Barry Banham maritime photo Collection
Engine for refurbishment and installation in KINGFISH

M.D/T. Merbreeze LT365
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
05/10/2012: Page published.
22/06/2014: Picture added.
11/01/2019: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
04/05/2019: Added an image.
13/06/2021: Updated information.
24/11/2023: Added an image.
06/12/2023: Updated history.

S.T. Withernsea H263

Note: Wartime visitor. This entry forms part of a deeper look into the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd and Kelsall Bros. & Beeching Ltd and the effect that they had on the fishing industry at Fleetwood.

Technical

Official Number: 144072.
Yard Number: ??
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 261
Net Tonnage: 116
Length: 132.6 ft
Breadth: 23.3 ft
Depth: 12.4 ft
Built: Flensburger Schiffsbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Flensburger Schiffsbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg

History

1918: Completed by Flensburger Schiffsbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg (Yd.No.Not recorded) for Norddeutsche Hochseefischerei Act. Ges., Wesermünde-G as APENRADE. Registered at Wesrmünde-G. Requisitioned for war service in Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) as a naval escort and assigned to 8 Geleitflotille (Escort Flotilla).
1920: Taken in reparation and assigned to Great Britain.
3.1921: Sold to Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd (64/64), Hull.
19.4.1921: Registered at Hull as APENRADE (H263).
22.4.1021: Registered at Hull (Part I & VI) as WITHERNSEA O.N.144072 (H263).(BoT Minute M.4695 dated 4 March 1921) O.N.144072.
8.6.1921: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank Ltd, London (A).
22.4.1921: Joseph Vivian appointed manager.
6.3.1923: Mortgagee re-styled as Westminster Bank Ltd, London.
1925: New boiler.
22.10.1925: Robert Burton appointed manager.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to William Augustus Hayward, Eastbourne.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd, London.
22.10.1928: Robert Burton appointed manager.
27.12.1930: Capsized against dock wall, St. Andrew’s Dock, Hull. Pulled upright by fish dock tug and pumped out.
16.9.1932: Charles Hugh Emerson appointed manager.
10.1932: Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd in liquidation.
1.11.1932: Mortgage (A) transferred to Harold Frank Hayward, London; Maud Florence Katherine Rogers, Chelsea and Ernest Norton, London (Joint mortgagees). 1935: Insured value £4,375.
25.2.1936: Sailed Hull for Faroes grounds (Sk. Gough).
10.3.1936: At Hull landed 350 kits (14 days) grossed £561. Laid up.
3.1936: Combined boxing and trawling fleet of Kelsall Bros. & Beeching Ltd and the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd consisting of 59 vessels laid up at Hull (declining catches, coal bill and increased maintenance costs had made the venture uneconomical).
6.3.1936: At Extraordinary General Meeting at Hull, Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd placed in Creditors’ Voluntary Winding-up (Richard Field Helm of Messrs Hodgson Harris & Co, London appointed liquidators).
8.6.1936: Sold by mortgagee under mortgage (A) to David Pearson, Hull (managing owner).
14.1.1937: Vessel (64/64) mortgage for £750 with interest at 5% with Harry Markham Cook, Grimsby (B).
31.3.1937: Mortgage (B) discharged.
31.3.1937: Vessel (64/64) mortgage for £1,000 with interest at 5% with Harry Markham Cook, Grimsby (C).
1.1938: Sold by mortgagee under mortgage (C) to A/S Shetland (F. N. Nordbö A/S), Haugesund.
25.1.1938: Hull registry closed “Sold to foreigners (Norwegian subjects) for trading”. To be renamed SHETLAND but remained at Haugesund laid up still under old name.
14.4.1939: Sold to “Lawica” Rybolowstwo Dalekomorskiie i Zegluga Sp.z.o.o., Gdynia (“Lawica” Deep-Sea Fishing & Shipping Ltd)(Kazimierza Orthweina, Wincenty Bartosiak & others) through Gdynia shipbrokers Rummel & Burton for £2,550.
18.5.1939: Registered at Polish Consulate in Oslo at Gdynia as LAWICA I(GDY141).
19.5.1939: Polish crew took over ship and sailed for Gdynia.
15.7.1939: Repairs completed. Being ready for sea before the start of the North Sea herring season it was decided to fish the Icelandic grounds and Sk. Stanislaw Ploszko was appointed*. A good landing was made at Gdynia, then employed on North Sea herring.
31.8.1939: Arrived Hull under orders of Polish authorities. Laid over.
9.9.1939: Moved to St. Andrews Dock and painted Admiralty Grey, it was believed that the ship was being prepared for Admiralty service, but later instructions cancelled and ship returned to lay up.
5.10.1939: Bare boat chartered to Hellyer Brothers Ltd, Hull and transferred to British flag.
26.10.1939: Transferred to Fleetwood (Sk. Stanislaw Ploszko).
16.11.1939: After an unsuccessful trip in heavy weather on the West of Scotland grounds in which she sustained severe damage, Hellyer Bros wished to end the charter.
7.12.1939: Repaired and placed on sales list at £8,000.
27.12.1939: After difficult negotiations sold for £7,270 to Hellyer Brothers Ltd, Hull with clause to buy back after war. Placed in registered ownership of Loch Fishing Co of Hull Ltd (64/64), Hull.
12.1939: Requisitioned for war service as auxiliary patrol vessel, based at Fleetwood on shipping control.
4.3.1940: Registered at Hull as WITHERNSEA (H??). Harry Wright appointed manager.
8.4.1940: Sold to The Admiralty (Minute S.F.4974/40) aware of terms of previous sale contract.
4.6.1940: Ty/Sk. Arthur Garforth RNR appointed CO.
7.1940: Commissioned as a minesweeper (P.No.FY1637).
1942: Based Grimsby with M/S Group 21.
18.8.1945: Ty/Sk. William John Henry Smith RNR appointed CO.
11.1945: Paid off. Laid up at Methil.
3.1946: Returned to Hellyer Brothers Ltd, Hull and under terms of previous sales, sold to “Lawica” Rybolowstwo Dalekomorskiie i Zegluga Sp.z.o.o., London. Registered at Gdynia as LAWICA (GDY83).
9.4.1946: Sailed Methil for Gdynia (Sk. Victor Gorzadek).
18.4.1946: Arrived Gdynia. Renovated and rebuilt by Shipyard No.13 and re entered service (Sk. Victor Gorzadek).
5.7.1946: Company registered in the Polish commercial register after office moved from England back to Poland.
1947: Took part in North Sea herring fishery (Sk. Victor Gorzadek). Out of season attempted to fish Baltic grounds but still heavily mined. Engaged in chilled/frozen transport Gdynia – Hull.
16.12.1949: By Order of the Ministry of Navigation the holding company and assets to be placed under control of the Polish People’s Republic. Zbigniew Kollesinskiego appointed manager.
1950: Company and assets transferred to “Dalmor” Przedsiobiorstwo Polowow Dalekomorskich Sp.z.ogr.odp, Gdynia (Polish Government).
10.1950: Fishing English Channel and Sandettie ground for herring (Sk. Wladyslaw Dettlaff), had record landing.
4.1957: Withdrawn and laid up.
12.1957: Towed to Gdynia Shipyard Repair for breaking up.
1958: Gdynia registry closed broken up.

Note* LAWICA I was the first Polish deep sea trawler to fish the Icelandic grounds with only a Polish crew.

Click to enlarge images

Wladyslaw Dettlaff
Picture from the Internet

Lawica GDY 83
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Lawica GDY83
Picture from the Internet

Lawica GDY 83
Picture from the Internet

Withernsea H253
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
26/06/2012: Page published. 9 updates since then.
04/04/2021: Updated history.
07/05/2021: Added an image.

S.D/T. Mare LT362 (Seasonal)

Technical

Official Number: 118667
Yard Number: 356
Completed: 1911
Gross Tonnage: 92
Net Tonnage: 38
Length: 86.0 ft
Breadth: 18.5 ft
Depth: 8.7 ft
Built: John Duthie Torry Shipbuilders, Aberdeen
Engine: T.3-cyl by J. Abernethy & Co, Aberdeen

History

Note spelling of name with the accented E (MARÉ) is correct. MARE is used to allow the search engine to find the entry.

1911: Launched by John Duthie Torry Shipbuilders, Aberdeen (Yd.No.355) for Joseph Johnston & Sons Ltd, Montrose as MARÉ.
6.1911: Completed (William D. Johnston Jnr, manager).
12.6.1911: Registered at Montrose (ME156).
7.1915: Requisitioned for war service as an A/S net drifter.(1-3pdr) (Ad.No.2200).
1918: Based Taranto.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Montrose (J. Johnstone & Sons Ltd, Montrose).
18.3.1921: Sold to William Widram, Eyemouth (managing owner).
21.3.1921: Montrose registry closed. Registered at Berwick-on-Tweed (BK416).
11.1927: Sold to Frank C. Burton, Lowestoft (managing owner).
11.1927: Berwick-on-Tweed registry closed.
29.11.1927: Registered at Lowestoft (LT362).
22.12.1927: Sold to Provincial Fishing Co Ltd, Lowestoft (Frank C. Burton) (Arthur Gouldby, manager).
22.4.1930: Frank C. Burton died.
22.5.1933: In accordance with terms of Will vessel registered to Edith Clara Burton (16/64), Clement Ernest Burton (16/64), Arthur Gouldby (16/64), George Mitchell (16/64), trading as Provincial Fishing Co Ltd (Arthur Gouldby, manager).
1936: Seasonal trawling from Fleetwood (New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, managing agents).
13.7.1936: Last landing at Fleetwood, 48 boxes grossed £96. Laid up at Fleetwood.
1.1937: Sailed Fleetwood for Milford.
31.1.1937: Landed at Milford (Sk. Walter Aldridge Jnr).
10.2.1937: Sold to Kenneth Llewellyn, Milford Haven (16/64), Sk. John William Chenery, Lowestoft (16/64), George Mitchell, Lowestoft (16/64), Arthur Claude Mitchell, Lowestoft (16/64) (Arthur Claude Mitchell, manager).
20.8.1938: On a trip from Milford (Sk. Jack Chenery). Responded to distress from Glasgow steam coaster GIRASOL (648grt/1926) off Pembroke coast abandoned with severe list due to cargo shifting and crew picked up by Glasgow steamer SHUNA (1575grt/1937) and Liverpool steamer Aguila (3255grt/1917). Having stood by and vessel had not foundered, boarded and at 6.20 pm. connected and commenced tow to Milford.
21.8.1934: Delivered Milford at 9.00 am and beached.
28.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service on balloon barrage (P.No.FY1508) (Hire rate £25.0.0d/month).
26.5.1940: At 6.57pm. ‘Operation Dynamo’ (Dunkirk evacuation) put into effect.
1.6.1940: At Dunkirk embarking troops. With drifters THREE KINGS (LT517) and TWEENWAYS (R356) picked up 19 men from from the sinking LMS steamer SCOTIA (3454grt/1921) bombed by German aircraft after leaving Dunkirk with an estimated 1,200 troops onboard. At Ramsgate at 10.20pm. landed 220 troops.
1940: Fitted out as a minesweeper (Hire rate £26.2.9d/month). Based Lowestoft, Harwich, Felixstowe.
1.1942: Based at Ipswich as Armed Patrol Drifter (2-MGs (1×2)).
12.10.1945: Returned to owner.
1946: Sold for breaking up.
16.1.1947: Lowestoft registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.D/T. Maré LT362
Picture courtesy of The John Clarkson Collection

Changelog
20/05/2012: Page published. 4 updates since then.
27/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image and repaired broken link.
06/06/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Braconlea A227

Technical

Official Number: 137620
Yard Number: 584
Completed: 1920
Gross Tonnage: 200
Net Tonnage: 76
Length: 115.5 ft
Breadth: 22.0 ft
Depth: 11.7 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Built: A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

9.1.1920: Launched by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.584) for Charles H. George, Caister on Sea, Gt Yarmouth as DONUM MARIS.
6.8.1920: Registered at Gt. Yarmouth (YH227).
7.1920: Completed.
12.8.1920: Sold to Don Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen (John S. Doeg, manager).
14.9.1920: Yarmouth registry closed.
23.9.1920: Registered at Aberdeen as BRACONLEA (A227).
17.3.1940: In North Sea in company with AVONDEE (A826), bombed by German aircraft; no damage sustained and fire returned.
1942: Company and fleet sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, manager).
7.1945: Sold to Haven Trawlers Ltd, Milford Haven (R. P. Lewis, manager).
1946: Sold to John W. Johnstone, Aberdeen.
5.10.1952: In strong gale decided to make for Mid Yell Voe, Shetland to shelter (Sk. William Summers). At entrance to Voe struck rocks at the Baas of Hascosay and immediately started to take water. Boat launched and requested assistance by radio and siren. Already at anchor in the Voe sheltering was the Aberdeen steam trawler GEORGE H. HASTIE (SN274); weighed anchor and with local boat in tow proceeded to the casualty. Crew transferred by local boats to GEORGE H. HASTIE and landed at Mid Yell.
6.19.1952: With exception of Skipper and Ch. Engineer, crew embarked in STRATHLEVEN (A47) for Aberdeen. Subsequently declared a CTL. Aberdeen registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Braconlea A227
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

Changelog
20/05/2012: Page published. 5 updates since then.
14/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Braconmoor A143

Technical

Official Number: 162276
Yard Number: 632
Completed: 1931
Gross Tonnage: 356
Net Tonnage: 163
Length: 140.3 ft
Breadth: 24.6 ft
Depth: 13.1 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Built: A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

23.12.1930: Launched by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.632) for Don Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen as BRACONMOOR.
1.1931: Completed (John S. Doeg, manager).
23.1.1931: Registered at Aberdeen (A143).
1.1.1939: On the Faroe fishing grounds (Sk. James Morrison), skipper fell overboard and deckhand James Henderson jumped in the water to save him. Sk. Morrison was recovered but there was no sign of James Henderson; presumed drowned.
27.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.686) (Hire rate £185.8.4d/month).
14.4.1941: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, Cleveleys, manager).
8.1946: Returned to owner.
1946: Sold to Government of Poland, Warsaw (Ministry of Industry & Commerce) (“Dalmor” Przedsiobiorstwo Polowow Dalekomorskich Sp.z.ogr.odp, Gdynia, managers) under the UNRRA scheme.
6.8.1946: Alteration of tonnage. Certificate of Survey at Cardiff 31.7.1946 – 356.15g 155.61n.
9.8.1946: Aberdeen registry closed.
8.1946: Registered at Gdynia as WEGA (GDY92).
20.3.1966: Sold for breaking up at Gdansk. Gdynia registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

HMT Braconmoor
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

S.T. Wega GDY 92
Picture courtesy of Shetland Maritime Museum

Changelog
20/05/2012: Page published. 5 updates since then.
09/06/2016: Information updated.
14/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
16/05/2018: Added images.

The Bosun's Watch

Fleetwood Steam and Sailing Trawlers

Category Archives: Steamers (Picture)

S.D/T. Merbreeze LT253

S.T. Withernsea H263

S.D/T. Mare LT362 (Seasonal)

S.T. Braconlea A227

S.T. Braconmoor A143