AVOLA M77

Roger Worsley Archive

Official No:  137771    Port Number and Year:   1st in Milford, 1926                                                                                12th in Milford, 1928

Description: Wooden sailing smack, trawling.  Carvel built. Foresail, mainsail and mizzen.

Crew:  3 men, 1 boy

Registered: 11 May 1926; re-registered following change in means of propulsion: 20 Dec1928

Built: by Peter Hancock & Sons, Pembroke Dock in 1926

Tonnage:  40 net (1926);   64.83 grt 22.67 net (1928).

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 73.6 / 19.8 / 9.6

Engine: Motor installed 20 Dec 1928: internal combustion diesel engine; British, 1928, by Widdop Engineering, Keighley. 2 Cyl; 80 bhp; 8 kts

Owners:   11 May 1926: Peter Llewellyn Hancock, 5 Picton Rd., Hakin. (22/64) Richard Llewellyn Hancock, 5 Picton Rd., Hakin. (21/64) Frederick Lovell Hancock, 5 Picton Rd., Hakin. (24/64) Manager: P.L. Hancock 20 Dec1928: As above; address now 'Beachways', Fort Rd., Hakin

Landed at Milford:  [Presumably Mar 1921 - Feb 1923; possibly at Neyland.]

Skippers: Frederick George Wonnacott; E. F. James (1930).

Notes: Vessel burnt and lost on 24 Jul 1930. [See below.]

Cert. Cancelled & Registry Closed: 24 Jul 1930.

Accidents and Incidents

The Times, Saturday, Jul 26, 1930; pg. 21; Issue 45575; col B
    

Mails and Shipping

CASUALTY REPORTS

(from lloyd's)

avola. - Waterford, July 25. - Motor fishing vessel Avola, of Milford Haven, burned and sunk 15 miles off Hook Head.  Crew landed at Dunmore East by trawler.

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From The Irish Times, of 26th July 1930; p.9:

BLAZING VESSEL SINKS

 

CREW ESCAPES IN SMALL BOAT

 

FISHERMEN'S EXCITING EXPERIENCE

 

    When a Milford Haven motor trawler, the Alovla [sic] which had been trawling off the South Irish coast, went on fire off Dunmore last Thursday evening, the crew of six had an exciting experience in effecting their escape.  Three of them were cut off by flames in a cabin, egress only being possible through the skylight.  By piling furniture, boxes and every available article on top of each other other they succeeded on getting through the aperture, but they had to leave all their belongings behind.  In the meantime their three companions were experiencing a trying time in fighting the flames and smoke.  Realising that the position was hopeless, the six members of the crew took to a small boat, and ere later picked up by the trawler Emu, also of Milford Haven, and landed safely at Dunmore, where Lloyd's Agent at Waterford took charge of them.

 

VESSEL SINKS

 

    For four hours the villagers of Dunmore watched the vessel on the horizon, a burning mass, enveloped in thick fumes.  The crew landed at the pier at 8 o'clock in the evening, just in time to take a last look at their vessel before she sank.

    The crew were in a small boat making for Dunmore when they were picked up by the Emu, and had then been several hours in the water.  They were making only slow progress, and their difficulty was being increased by the approach of darkness when the Emu arrived.

    Yesterday morning the crew arrived in Waterford, where Mr. Jacob had them provided for at the David Beatty Rest.

 

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From an unknown local newspaper, of July / August 1930:

 

    Three members of the crew of the motor smack "Avola", owned by Peter Hancock & Sons Ltd., had a narrow escape from injury on Friday when the trawler caught fire off Dunmore, East Waterford, following an explosion in the vessels boiler room.

    The men were trapped in a cabin and only managed to escape by piling up the furniture and climbing through the deck sky light.

    These men and the rest of the crew of six then fought she flames which, however, advanced so rapidly that finally all the crew had to abandon the vessel. They took to their small boat, and hours later were picked up by the steam trawler "Emu", also fishing out of Milford. The crew of the "Avola" were landed safely at the port of Dunmore East.

    The "Avola" remained burning for four hours, and then sank.

 

    The crew were:

Skipper E.F. James. Lowestoft

Mate W. Moxey. Milford.

James Stanfield. Milford.

H.J. Newbury. Lowestoft

R.A. Racen. Lowestoft

Charles Dennant. Lowestoft

    The "Avola" is a sister ship to the "Arravale", which it will be remembered was wrecked in Bantry Bay last March with the loss of several lives.

 

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