CENTAUR M3
As ANNA JOSINA IJM.169 (c.1920s)
From the website www.shipsnostalgia.com
Official No: 112467 Port Number and Year: 4th in Milford, 1904
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen.
Crew: 9 men (1904)
Registered at Milford: 13 May 1904
Built: 1904; by Smith's Dock Co., North Shields. (Yard no. 735)
Tonnage: 199.71 grt 47.19 net.
Length / breadth / depth (feet):155.4 / 21.55 / 11.5
Engine: T 3-cyl. 64 hp. W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Glasgow.
Owners:
13 May 1904: David Pettit, 47 Priory Rd., Milford (32/64) (Managing owner.)
Morgan Watkin Howells, 19 St Ann's Rd., Hakin (32/64)
27 Jul 1908: Morgan Watkin Howells, 19 St Ann's Rd., Hakin (64/64)
Managing owner.
As ANNA JOSINA IJM.169
14 Oct 1912. Zeevisscherij Nicolaas II, W.Maarleveld, IJmuiden.
As J.T. CREMER IJM.120
1926: Algemeene Visscherij Mij ( V.E.M. ), IJmuiden.
[ Information from the "Ships Nostalgia" website. ]
Landed at Milford: 5 Jun 1904 - 9 Oct 1912
Skippers:
Peter Ebbesen Cert. 01684; age 40, born Denmark, residing 1Warwick Rd., Milford. Signed on 25 May, 7 Jul 1904; 9 Jan 1905
John Henry Dove 2287, 39, Hull, Robert St., Milford; 3 Jul 1905; 5 Jan 1906; 26 Jun, 2 Jul 1909
W. Blockwell 4565, 33, Yarmouth, Priory Rd., Milford; 16 Jul 1906; 28 Jan 1908
F. W. Limbrick 8019, 22, Brixham, Upper Hill St., Hakin; 8 Jan 1908
Jack Setterfield 3670, 35, Ramsgate, - ; 6 Apr 1908
John Blake 2145, 39, Brixham, - ; 5 May, 16 Jul 1908; 11 Jan 1909
George C. Nichols 05538, 40, Stamford, 17 Mar 1909; 25 May, 8 Jul 1911
J. Clark 3689, 46, Hull, - ; 7 Jul, 26 Oct 1910; 5 Jan 1911
B. Foster 1408, 54, Greenwich, - ; 14 Oct 1910; 13 Feb 1912
William J. Reynolds 7337, 28, Scarborough, - ; 15 Jan 1912
Joseph Huddleston 5377, 40, Nottingham, - ; 25 May, 1 Jul 1912
Notes:
Insured by Pettit & Howell in 1906 for £4,000; vessel valued at £6,000.
1936: Broken up.
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 14 Oct 1912. Vessel sold to Dutch owners.
Accidents and Incidents
Log book entries:
01.09.1904
Towed the steam trawler 'Circe' from about 210 miles SW 1 S from Longships to Milford Haven, distant 310 miles. 'Circe's' engine completely broken down.
Peter Ebbeson (SKipper)
04.10.1905
Off Queenstown Harbour, Ireland.
G. Coates, age 50, First Engineer; born Neyland. Injured fingers - jammed in engine.
John Henry Dove (Skipper)
25.05.1908
We left Milford Docks for the fishing grounds on Saturday 23rd May 1908. About midnight whilst steaming about 100 miles W by N of St Ann's Head, we heard a noise in the ship's stern, and upon looking found that the propeller was disabled and that two blades were gone. We then returned to Milford, arriving about mid-day on Monday 25th May. Came into dock and got new propeller slung onto stern and whilst going out of dock to beach ship, grounded against wall and slings parted letting propeller fall into dock and had to have diver get same.
J. Blake (Skipper)
03.12.1909
Lost anchor and 15 fathoms of cable. Blowing heavy gale, in Milford.
John Henry Dove (Skipper)
08.07.1911
10 p.m.
W. Berryman, Bosun, has this day been fined 5/- for striking A. J. Collins, Fourth hand, in the face, cutting his lip. The assault took place on 7th July, off the Old Head of Kinsale.
George C. Nichols (Skipper)
Alfred J. Lednor (Second Hand 9761)
07.01.1912
George C. Nichols, age 40, Skipper; born Stamford, Lincs, residing Milford Haven.
Entangled in trawl, pulling the skipper overboard, catching left knee under rail, badly bruising leg.
George C. Nichols (Skipper)
16.06.1912
At 11 a.m. on 16th June, sighted ketch 'Annie' of Jersey flying signal of distress. Steamed towards him and spoke to him. He told me he wanted towing. I then passed my warps aboard of him and towed him to Milford Haven, arriving and anchored at 4 p.m. on 16th June.
Captain J. B. B. Huddlestone
Edwin Cox (Mate 4408)
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 27th May 1904:
MILFORD
THE FISHING INDUSTRY.— A new trawler, the Centaur, fitted with all modern improvements, has been added to the fleet, this week. It is the second which Mr David Pettit has brought to Milford within the last few months.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 3rd August 1904:
Two fine trips have to be recorded this week. On Monday, the "Centaur", owned by Mr. D. Pettit, realised £360 with her catch, and on Tuesday one of Messrs. Sellick, Morley and Price's vessels, the "Weymouth", made £390. A large quantity of soles were included in the hauls.
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 9th September 1904:
MILFORD
The steam trawler "Circe" broken down on September 1st, about 210 miles S.W. of the Longships, and in response to signals of distress was taken in tow by the steam trawler "Centaur," and brought safely into harbour.
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 4th June 1909:
AIRSHIP HOAX.
How a Cardiff Newspaper was "had."
A story which appeared in the "Western Mail" to the effect that a mysterious airship had been seen at Milford Haven has created much amusement in that town. The report states "that a crowd of 300 people assembled outside the Lord Nelson Hotel" in fear, probably, of an imminent danger, and there was [an] interview with Captain Nichols, of the steam trawler "Centaur," who was stated to have seen the mysterious airship.
On Saturday the "Western Mail" admitted that they had been hoaxed. "Under the headings 'Like a Floating Cage', 'Ship's Captain reports airship at Pembroke'", it stated, " 'a paragraph appeared in our issue of last Saturday which stated that a mysterious airship had been seen over Milford Haven. The usual features associated with this strange visitor were alleged to have been observed, and a detailed interview with Captain Nichols, of the steam trawler Centaur was published, in which it was stated that the captain had seen the airship. It turned out we were hoaxed into giving this story, which was an impudent concoction from start to finish. Captain Nichols, so far from sighting an airship in Dale Roads, was not anywhere near the Welsh coast at the time. He was with his ship Centaur on the way home from Oporto. We much regret that we were led into publishing this story, and are sorry Captain Nichols should have been put to any annoyance."
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From the Cardiff Times and South Wales Weekly News of Saturday 26th February 1910:
MILFORD TRAWLERS BATTERED.
Out of seven steam trawlers and a number of smacks landing at Milford fish market not one of them escaped damage by the recent gale. The steamer Cameo for the second time in a few weeks lost her lifeboat, the Osprey and Ixia shared a similar fate, whilst the Lynmouth had her wheelhouse battered in and carried away. Considerable damage was done on the decks of the vessels, the Brixham and Lowestoft smacks especially having a trying time. The Centaur was nearly a week making the journey home from the Bay of Biscay.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 16th October 1912:
On Thursday the fine news was that the new steam trawler "Yucca" made her first appearance at the port. ...................
Whilst it is a pleasure to welcome a fine new vessel, the port has also lost one, for negotiations were concluded last week for the sale of the steam trawler "Centaur", owned by Mr. Morgan W. Howell. She has been a successful vessel, and has been bought by continental owners.
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