NILE M186

Official No:    108497   Port Number and Year:  12th in Grimsby, 1898 (GY500)                                                                                       -   in Fleetwood, 1905 (FD11)                                                                                      1st in Milford,1918

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

Crew: 9 men (1899); 10 men (1918).

Registered at Milford: 20 Jul 1918

Built: Edwards Bros., North Shields,1898.  (Yard no. 581)

Tonnage: (1898) 174 grt 45 net; (27 Jul 1905) 196.35 gross 67.78 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  (1898) 111.0; (27 Jul 1905) 123.0 / 21.1 / 10.9

Engine: T-3Cyl. 60 hp.; engine and boiler by McCall & Pollock, Sunderland

Owners:   As GY500 14 Mar 1898: The Britannia Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., Fish Dock Rd., Grimsby Manager: George William Parker. (Same address.)   9 Dec 1902:  J. Marrs & Son, Dock St., Fleetwood. Manager: James Herbert Marrs. 15 Aug 1904: Registered as FD11.   20 Nov 1916: Andrew Walker, Commercial Rd., Aberdeen.  Managing owner.   8 Jul 1918: Thomas George Hancock, 'Hill House', Hill St., Hakin. (64/64) Managing owner. 20 Jul 1918: As M186

Landed at Milford: 8 Jul 1919 - 3 Oct 1922

Skippers: William Grieves Payne, 1922.

Notes:  18 Mar 1903: The Britannia Steam Fishing Company was wound up voluntarily. 12 Aug 1904: Grimsby registry closed. Jun 1915: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a boom defence vessel. 16 Jul 1918: Fleetwood registry closed. 12 Mar 1919: Returned to owner. 24 Oct 1922:  Foundered at sea after having struck a rock at Crookhaven, Co. Cork. [See story below.] [ Information kindly supplied by http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info ]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 4 Nov 1922.

 Accidents and Incidents:

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 18th March 1921:

 

    In the Admiralty Division on Wednesday, Mr. Justice Hill had an action brought by the owners of the steam trawler Nile, of Milford Haven, to recover damages arising out of a collision between her and the defendant's steam trawler James Christopher, also of Milford Haven, in Milford Docks on the afternoon of March 31st last.

    The Plaintiff's case was that the Nile was lying alongside the wall of the entrance to the sea-going lock of the dock.  She had a wire fast from her bows to the wall, and was heading towards the end of the wall, waiting for further orders to cast off and proceed to the inside of the dock.  In these circumstances it was alleged that the James Christopher, underway, with her stem struck the port quarter of the Nile, damaging her and forcing her stern into violent contact with the dock wall, whereby further damage was sustained.

    Mr. Justice Hill in giving judgement said that although the skipper [ of the Nile ] who had been drinking heavily was not really in the best condition for control of his ship, the conclusion he came to on the evidence was that he could not move his engines astern and that the Nile was a stationary ship when she was run into by the James Christopher.

    He pronounced the latter vessel alone to blame, and gave judgement for the Plaintiffs with costs, the damages to be assessed.

 

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Statement by Principal Crew Members:

    The steam trawler "Nile", owned by Mr. Thomas George Hancock, left the port of Plymouth bound for the fishing grounds off the south-west coast of Ireland.  This was on the 20th day of October 1922.

    At around 3.30 p.m. on the 21st of the same month, we were entering the Irish harbour of Crookhaven, when our vessel came into contact with a submerged object, which we now believe to have been a rock.

    We left Crookhaven at about 5.30 on the 24th, heading back to the fishing grounds to commence trawling.  We then found that the "Nile" was taking in water.  This increased until the trawler went under.

Skipper - William Grieves Payne

Mate - John George Powell

Chief - Thomas Treharne Highes

Second - Herbert Valentine Fisher Thomas

 

 

From the Times of Thursday 26th October 1922:

CASUALTY REPORTS

(From Lloyds)

...........

MILFORD HAVEN. Oct. 25.― Steam trawler NILE of Milford Haven, foundered at noon yesterday, when fishing about 10 miles off Muirhead (Ireland).  Crew landed here by steam trawler Sea Rover.

 

[NB:  Not recorded in "Shipwreck Index of Ireland", but is listed on "Irish Wrecks on-line" website, Co.Cork, off Crookhaven.]

 

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