SEA FOAM M139

Official No:    108419  Port Number and Year: - in Milford, 1898                                                                                   Boulogne, 1898                                                                                     Dieppe, 1920

Description:  Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail, mizzen

Crew: 9 men

Registered at Milford: 25 Mar 1898

Built: Duthie, Aberdeen, 1898.  (Yard no. 193)

Tonnage: 170 gross 41.35 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  108.3 / 20.8 / 11.2

Engine: C.2-cyl, 52 hp; by Hall Russell & Co., Aberdeen

Owners:   25 Mar 1898:  Castle Steam Trawlers (Thomas Ridley Oswald, Castle Hall, Castle Pill.)   Renamed SIRIUS B ?? 1898: J. Huret, Boulogne.   As DI ?? 1920: Corue Fréres et Cie., Dieppe

Landed at Milford: 6 Apr - 2 May 1898

Skippers: H. Glansford.

Notes: 5 May 1898:  Foundered off Ushant.  [See below.] 1898: Salvaged and returned to fishing. 1937: Scrapped. [Information kindly supplied by Andy Hall, via Gil Mayes.]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 1898

 Accidents and Incidents:

From an unknown local newspaper dated 18th June 1898:

    An inquiry into the loss of the steam trawler "Sea Foam" was held on Thursday and Friday at the Masonic Hall, Milford.  The court consisted of Messrs. J. Llewellyn Davies and J. Whicher (justices), Captain Brookes, Captain Hughes and Mr. Ashcroft  (assessors).  Messrs. Strick and Son appeared for the Board of Trade.

    Mr. Strick, in his opening speech, said the "Sea Foam" was a steel ship built at Aberdeen, rigged as a schooner, having triple expansion engines of 55 horse power, and owned by Mr. T.R. Oswald, of Milford Haven. 

    Evidence was given by Harry Glansford (the master), and other witnesses as to the loss of the vessel which struck a rock off Ushant.  In reply to Mr. Strick, Mr. Oswald said the vessel was valued by the clubs at £6,125, and insured for £4,900, but she cost more than that to build, and he could not replace her for under £5,000. 

    At the conclusion of the hearing on Friday, the court adjourned to consider their judgement, and on resuming at 3 o' clock they decided that the cause of the casualty was that the course set by the Master when off Ushant was not correctly steered by the Second Hand.  "We attribute the loss of the trawler 'Sea Foam' to this fact, and suspend the certificate of the latter in consequence for six calendar months from this date."

    The court also considered the Master committed an error of judgement in not coming to an anchor when he discovered the vessel in eight fathoms of water, and the court, while not dealing with his certificate, recommends him to be more alert and careful in the future.

 

 

Back to Trawlers 1888-1914