OTHONNA M24
Official No: 108439 Port Number and Year: 7th in Milford, 1899
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: foresail mainsail and mizzen
Crew: 9 men
Registered at Milford: 19 Jun 1899
Built: J. Duthie & Sons, Aberdeen,1899. (Yard no. 200)
Tonnage: 180.25 gross 33.75 net. 1 Jan 1914: Amended by BoT survey to 71.19 net tonnage.
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 110.8 / 20.8 / 11.1
Engine: T-3Cyl. 61 rhp.; made by Whyte & Mair, Dundee
Owners:
19 Jun 1899:
Cornelius Cecil Morley, Co. Wexford
William Geoff Davies Goff, Co. Wexford
Manager: C. C. Morley
Landed at Milford: 23 May 1900 - 8 Jan 1915
Skippers: H Smith cert. no. 3858, age 38, born Lincoln; signed on 14 may 1900
Jack Wm. Setterfield 3670, 29, Ramsgate; 3 Aug 1901; 24 Feb, 28 Jun, 7 Jul 1902; 7 Jan 1903
James Stanfield 5441, 38, Shefield; 10 Jan, 14 Apr 1902
J. Reynolds 01742, 43, Scarborough; 2 Jul 1903;17 Apr 1904; 11 Jan, 10 Jul 1905; 10 Jan, 5 Jul 1906
Wm. Francis Reynolds 7337, 26, Scarborough; 10 Jan 1908
T. E. Hooper 6628, 31, Hull; 20 Mar 1908
Henry Scott 0231, 57, London; 20 May, 10 Jul 1908
Henry Wm. Mansell 6376, 27, Ashford; 22 Jan 1909
Arthur Lamswood 4931, 34, Brixham; 23 Feb 1909
W. H. Blockwell 8327, 27, Gorleston; 8 Oct 1909; 4 Jan, 7 Jul, 19 Sep 1910; 9 Jan, 3 Jul 1911
Henry James 5909, 41, Brixham, 16 Nov 1909
Francis Folland 7982, 30, Plymouth; 27 Nov 1909
B. Foster 1608, 54, Greenwich; 23 Aug 1910
E. Bracher 9269, 35, Yarmouth; 1 Aug 1911
Fred W. Garton 8606, 27, - ; 7 Dec 1911; 4 Jan, 1 Jul 1912
J. L. Stroud 02471, 48, - ; 17 Dec 1912; 1 Jan, 1 Jul 1913; 1914
Notes: Jan 1915: Requisitioned by Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper (Admy.no. 940)
20 Apr 1917: Mined off Tod Head, Fife Ness, Scotland, by mine laid by UC41 (Kapitänleutnant Kurt Bernis).. 9 crew members lost. [See local newspaper report below.]
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 30 Jan 1919.
Accidents and Incidents:
Log book entries:
05.03.1902.
Chapel Bay, Milford Harbour.
Schooner "Reliance" sunk, collision.
Jack Setterfield. (Skipper)
21.04.1903.
Three miles from the Smalls.
Towed the steam trawler "Ceres", which had broken down, to Milford Haven.
Jack Setterfield. (Skipper).
11.02.1904.
Ran into the stern of the steam trawler "Carew Castle" . The "Carew Castle" stopped suddenly and did not go ahead when I told him.
J.H.Reynolds. (Skipper).
W.T.Reynolds. Second Hand. Witness.
07.01. 1904
Milford Docks.
Through engine not acting ran into "Reliance", the engine refusing to reverse .
John Screach. (Skipper).
Albert Courtney. (Third Hand). Witness.
29.05.1905.
220 miles W by N of St.Ann's.
Boiler leaky, cause unknown.
J.Reynolds. (Skipper).
26.09.1905.
30 miles NW by N from Bull Rock.
Intermediate shaft broken, cause unknown.
J.Reynolds. (Skipper).
06.05.1906.
When about 200 miles E by S of Milford Haven and bound for home under easy steam, about 7 knots, I suddenly struck some rocks which proved to be in the neighbourhood of the Bull, but owing to the very foggy weather it was impossible to obtain the exact position. I at once ordered the engines to be put astern, and on the vessel sliding into deep water I sounded the pump. Finding she made no water, I at once proceeded direct for Milford, arriving 4 p.m. on 7th of May, 1906.
J. Reynolds (Skipper).
[ See story in local newspaper below. ]
18.11. 1909.
Put into Queenstown, Ireland, with damaged machinery.
Henry James. (Skipper).
04.04.1911.
45 miles W by N from St.Ann's Head
E. Bracher, age 25, Mate; English, born Yarmouth, residing at Mi1ford.
Put wheel hard a starboard, vessel shipped a heavy sea, wheel spun man round breaking his left arm.
W. H. Blockwell. (Skipper).
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From the Milford Haven Weekly News & County Times of Thursday 10th May 1906:
On Sunday last, the steam trawler "Othonna", owned by the Western Trawling Co., while homeward bound, narrowly escaped foundering, as she struck a rock supposed to be the Bull, the weather at the time being very foggy.
After the reverse of the engines the vessel slid off, and on sounding the pumps, the skipper found she made no water, believing only a few rivets were loosened. The ship is at present being surveyed in the Milford Dry Dock.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 27th April 1917:
PATROL BOAT DISASTERS
Milford Losses
Several Milford trawlers who were engaged on patrol work have met with disaster. [ First part of article deals with the loss of a Scottish trawler, the LOCH EYE, which was based with the RNR at Milford, and blown up in a mine explosion. ] ... As far as is known only one local man was amongst the lost, viz., Chief Engineer Thomas Anderson of Pill. ... Anderson leaves a widow and young family.
Other news was received to the effect that the steam trawlers Lobelia and Othonna, both stationed at other bases, had been lost in similar circumstances and that the death roll is a heavy one, and includes a number of Milford men, a full list of which we are unable to give. Some of them, it is feared, are Skipper Joseph Pratt, a well-known Milford trawler skipper, John Marvelly, one of the oldest chief engineers of the port, who was about 60 years of age and leaves a large grown-up family, J. Lynch and Sid Stratford on the Lobelia, Chief Engineer T. Davies (Neyland) and Byers, cook, on the Othonna and there may be others. It is easy to imagine the feelings of anxious relatives and friends in the present period of suspense, and it is hoped that even now better and reassuring news may be forthcoming.
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