FALMOUTH BL8

Official No:  98827      Port Number and Year: Bristol, 1891 (BL8)

Description: Iron side trawler; steam screw, coal burning.  Crabber. Ketch rigged

Crew: 10 men

Built: Sir Raylton Dixon & Co., Middlesborough,  in 1891.  (Yard no. 353)

Tonnage:133 grt  54 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 96.5 / 20.3 / 10.7

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 50 rhp.  Worth McKenzie & Co., Stockport

Owners:

 

As BL8

1891: Western Steam Trawling Co., Bristol

Manager: Frederick John Sellick, 'Marine Villa', Murray Cres., Milford

 

1906: Sellick, Morley & Price, Docks, Milford

Manager: Sidney Morgan Price

 

Landed at Milford:  9 Nov 1891 - 23 Aug 1908

Skippers: 1891: G. Hallett

1892: Hallett;  Holder

1893: Holder

1894: Holder

1895: Holder; Clarke;

1896: Clarke; Scott

1897: Scott

1898: Scott; Longthorpe

1899: Scott; Bailey; Taylor

1900: Bagley; Kippen; Collins; Leggett

1901: Collins; Nicholls; Scott

1902: Scott

1903: Scott; Setterfield; Fransham

1904: Fransham; Foster; Coker; Walters; Adams

1905: Adams; Chaney

1906: Adams

Notes: 1909: Sold for £305 and broken up at Castle Pill.  [See newspaper reports below.]

 Accidents and Incidents

From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 15th January 1908:

 

       The steam trawler "Falmouth" arrived in Dock on Sunday morning with the skipper, Mr R. Sanderson, suffering serious injuries to the eyes.  It appears that the accident was the result of an explosion in the acetylene tanks, and the skipper had the full force of it in his eyes.  Almost blind he was conveyed to the surgery and afterwards to his home in Priory Road.  Much sympathy is felt for him.  He was one of the oldest skipper's fishing out of the port.

 

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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 26th August 1908:

 

    Great excitement was experienced in Milford between five and six o'clock yesterday (Tuesday) morning, when practically all the residents of the town were startled out of their sleep by a large report coming from the direction of the Docks.

    After the opening of the Dock Gates, the vessels were all astir in anticipation of leaving for sea.  The steam trawler "Calliope" (Mr. David Pettit) was starting to and fro with a view of getting into position to advance through the gates.  Another steam trawler, "Falmouth" (Sellick, Morley and Price), was also making for the entrance, but the "Calliope", coming astern, struck the "Falmouth" amidships on the port side.

    The latter immediately began to sink.  The crew, seeing this, got the trawler onto a bank opposite the Dock Gates.  When the water reached the acetylene gas tank in the engine room, a terrible explosion took place.  Flames shot high above the funnel, burning part of the woodwork round the wheelhouse, but the water was gaining ground so fast that it extinguished the fire.  Two members of the crew were thrown violently onto the deck from their feet, but no injuries were sustained by anyone.

    The "Falmouth" partly submerged, and the Dock Company's divers donned their apparatus and were speedily at work effecting such repairs as could be executed.  Pumping operations have begun, and it is expected that the submerged craft will be afloat today.

    The "Calliope" proceeded to sea, but the crew found that the rudder was very stiff, damaged, and completely twisted, and they were compelled to abandon the voyage.

    During yesterday a large number of people visited the docks to watch the divers at work.

 

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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 20th January 1909:

 

    The steam trawler "Falmouth" (Sellick, Morley & Price) was put up for sale at the Lord Nelson Hotel, Front Street, Milford, by Messrs Evans and Roach on Thursday afternoon.

    It will be remembered that in August last the "Falmouth" was sunk in Milford Docks after a collision with another steam trawler, "Calliope" , Mr David Pettit, owner, when a terrific explosion followed.  Since then the "Falmouth" has been laid up in dock undergoing some repairs.  At the sale however, she fell into the hands of the Ship Breaking Yard at Castle Pill, the manager, Mr J. R. Jones, for Mr John Paton, Castle Steel Ship Breaking Yard, Pill, securing her for £305.

 

 

See Log Book entry for CALLIOPE

   

 

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