RODNEY A73

 

John Stevenson Collection

Official No:  96243     Port and Year: Grimsby, 1891 (GY307)                                                                 Aberdeen, 1906 (A73)

Description: Iron side liner; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged.

Crew:  9 men (1891)

Built: 1891, by Earles Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Hull. (Yard no. 347)

Tonnage: 112 grt  38 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 88.0 / 20.1 / 10.7

Engine: C.2-Cyl. 44 rhp., by builders.

Owners:   As GY307 6 Apr 1891: William Grant, Rugby Cottage, Cleethorpes, Lincs. Managing owner.   As A73 6 Jun 1906: Alexander King, 150 Victory Rd., Torry, Aberdeen. Manager: George H. Carrington, Fish Docks, Aberdeen. By 1909: Alexander King (Managing owner).   1910: William Sutherland, 161 Clifton Rd., Aberdeen. Managing owner.   1911: Tom Westenborg, Milford.

Landed at Milford:  26 Apr 1911 - 8 Aug 1912

Skippers: Frank Payne

Notes:  Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney (1718 – 1792) was a British naval officer,  best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. Claimed to have pioneered the tactic of "breaking the line". [Wikipedia.] Jan 1893: Picked up all five crew of the Grimsby smack SPECIMEN, which was stranded on the Inner Binks (E and N of Spurn Point).  [Yorkshire Herald, Tuesday 17th January, 1893.] 21 Nov 1893: Towed the derelict Norwegian barque MARITZBERG, of Asendal, from 20 miles off the Spurn Light into Grimsby, and subsequently awarded £570 salvage. [Nottinghamshire Guardian, Saturday 2nd June, 1894.] 16 Jun 1897: Towed the disabled steamer CALEDONIA, of Rotterdam, from 40 miles ESE of Spurn, until she foundered on the following afternoon, 8 miles SE of Spurn. [Aberdeen Weekly Journal, Wednesday 23rd June 1897.] 11 Aug 1912: Foundered off the Smalls.  [See story below.] 28 Aug 1912: Register closed ("Total loss").

Accidents and Incidents

From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 15th November 1911:

.....

    On Sunday afternoon a gale of great force came on somewhat suddenly, and lasted the whole of the night.  Several large vessels put into the harbour for shelter, but no damage or casualty is reported.  The steam trawler "St. Clear" had her small boat damaged, and the liner "Rodney" came in with two blades of her propellers broken.  The steam trawler "Teesmouth" had her lifeboat carried away.

 

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From an undated local newspaper of August 1912:

 

    On Friday the steam trawler "Rodney", of which skipper Frank Payne, of Hakin, is skipper, left the docks for the fishing grounds, and about an hour before noon on Monday, when off the Smalls, she sprang a leak. She commenced to sink rapidly and within an hour was under water. The crew, however, numbering nine, got safely off by launching the small boat, and after rowing for about an hour and half, were picked up by the fishing smack "Roebuck", of Neyland, and brought into the Haven. Then the "Rodney's" crew got back into their small boat and rowed up to the Dock Offices, where they landed about six o'clock. The vessel, which was originally a long liner, belonged to Mr Tom Westenborg, of Hakin, he having purchased it from the port of Aberdeen about eighteen months ago. It is only about six months since he converted it into a trawler, and it not being fully insured much sympathy will be felt with the owner on his heavy loss.

 

From R. &. B. Larn (2000): Shipwreck Index of the British Isles - West Coast and Wales:

 

RODNEY                12/08/1912

 

Bristol Channel, The Smalls L/h, off shore, 8M SSW    51.39N  05.51W

.........

Foundered/total wreck or loss

 

 

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