Additional Material courtesy of Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 105912
Yard Number: 506
Completed: 1895
Gross Tonnage: 153
Net Tonnage: 33
Length: 105.8 ft
Breadth: 20.6 ft
Depth: 11.0 ft
Built: Edwards Bros Ltd, North Shields
Engine: T.3-cyl by N. E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland

History

3.10.1895: Launched by Edwards Bros Ltd, North Shields (Yd.No.506) for George Beeching, Fleetwood (managing owner) as BASSEIN.
24.10.1895: Registered at Fleetwood (FD138).
10.1895: Completed.
15.1.1896: At Campbeltown sheltering (Sk. George H. Marks). Boarded by Fishery Officer as “… vessel had no number on funnel or quarter, and the number and letters on bow were painted in black instead of white paint.” Master instructed to paint up before departure.
16.1.1896: Vessel sailed in early morning without complying with request.
1897: Sold to Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd, Manchester (John E. A. Kelsall & George Beeching, Fleetwood, managers).
30.3.1899: Registered at Hull (H68).
12.5.1899: Fleetwood registry closed.
22.12.1900: In River Humber about noon, grounded on the Skitter Sand and later on Holm Sand – no damage. At about 4.50pm ran into Admiralty Pier at Paull doing damage but no damage to vessel. Incidents caused by Sk. H. Belton and 2nd Hand J. Gillard “being incapable of handling her properly due to our being under the influence of drink”.
21.3.1901: At sea. Bosun H Peaman assaulted by deckhand M. Kelly (struck and bitten); fined 5/-.
27.3.1901: Deckhand M. Kelly gross negligence sleeping whilst on watch as look out; fined 5/-.
4.4.1901: Fines paid to Superintendent Mercantile Marine Office, Hull.
7.9.1904: North Sea (Sk. Thomas Edmonds). J. Wilson, trimmer, foot struck by crank of LP cylinder and broken.
26.10.1904: North Sea (Sk. Thomas Edmonds). Returning from boarding cutter HAWK (H238) with fish, boat capsized and Bosun, C. Dawe was drowned.
12.3.1907: In the North Sea (Sk. Arthur Frederick Evans) when some 18 miles off Spurn, in collision with Newcastle steamer TURRETHILL (691grt/1895) causing considerable damage to stem, subsequently beached in Humber. 2nd Hand in charge of deck watch admitted to not being on the bridge at the time. (TURRETHILL was towed into river and part beached on sand spit by No.6 buoy, full of water and badly damaged midships below the waterline.)
27.8.1908: North Sea (Sk. Arthur Frederick Evans). Laid to, struck by steam trawler PIGEON (H155) (Sk. E. Gillard) who did not leave sufficient room to pass our stem. Bulwark plates and stanchions bent and rail broken starboard quarter..
8.9.1911: Registered office transferred to Hull (George Beeching, Hull & John E. A. Kelsall, London, managers).
14.11.1908: North Sea (Sk. Arthur Frederick Evans). In rough weather boat swamped whilst occupants were aboard the cutter SWIFT (H99). Boat and 17 boxes of fish lost.
14.4.1909: North Sea (Sk. Arthur Frederick Evans). J. Harden 3rd Hand crushed thumb when right hand caught between snatch block and casing.
19.2.1910: At sea (Sk.G. H. Crosswaite). J. West fined for drunkeness.
24.2.1910: At sea (Sk. G. H. Crosswaite). J. West refused duty. Fine in the first case and proceedings in the second were remitted.
5.11.1911: In North Sea in a strong gale shipped a heavy sea and taking in water. At about 6.00pm. blew whistle to attract attention and about 6.15pm. steam trawler PIGEON (H155) (Sk. C. G. Wilkins) approached and was asked to standby.
6.11.1911: Situation deteriorated, distress signals shown and skipper requested crew to be taken off. About 2.30am. PIGEON sent over boat and crew of nine taken off. Vessel listing heavily to starboard and hoping for a moderation in weather, PIGEON laid by until the following morning.
7.11.1911: At about 4.30am vessel foundered. (Later Bosun Frederick George Gowen, Hull and 3rd Hand Frank Clayton, Grimsby of PIGEON awarded BoT Sea Gallantry Medal (bronze) for rescue).
1.12.1911: Hull registry closed “Ship foundered in North Sea 7th November1911”.

Note At one time Fleetwood trawlers had a less than enviable reputation amongst the Scottish Islands. Poaching and the prosecutions that followed were commonplace and the trawlers would paint out their names and PLN to try to prevent identification.
The following letters, kindly provided by Douglas Paterson, illustrate the problem. (Opens with Adobe Reader)

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