M.T. Wyre Captain FD228
Technical
Official Number: 185142
Completed: 1953
Gross Tonnage: 514
Length: 161 ft
Engine: Crossley Bros, 960 BHP 8 cyl
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Speed: 13.2 knots
History
1953: Completed by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby as PRINCE CHARLES for St. Andrew’s Fishing Co. Ltd, Hull. Registered at Hull (H249).
03.12.1955: Left Grimsby bound for the Barents Sea fishing grounds under the command of skipper Tommy H. Baskomb and a crew of 21 men all told.
22.12.1955: Set course for home with a good catch aboard intending to arrive home on the 28th and spend the New Year at home.
23.12.1955: At Honningsvag to pick up a pilot for the passage through the Norwegian fjords.
Later that night she struck the rocks off the Island of Soeroeya about 60 miles west of Hammerfest in a snowstorm. The crew abandoned ship and tried to swim ashore, unfortunately not all of them made it. The crew that made it ashore climbed up the rocks and were later picked up by the Norwegian ship INGOEY.
Skipper Baskomb was the last to leave the stricken vessel. He rescued 2 men from the water but perished while trying to save a third. The INGOEY then proceeded to Hammerfest where twelve survivors where landed and two bodies. 8 survivors were treated for severe frostbite.
A Norwegian naval frigate and the Hull trawler KINGSTON TOPAZ stood by the wreck for the remainder of the evening looking for survivors but no one was found. The search was called off at 07:00 hours on the 24th December.
Nine men were lost that day, as was the pilot. The vessel was later salvaged, but the story was she had refloated herself and was found at sea, floating up side down, the lost men were all in the cabin. She was towed back to Hull.
03.1956: Refitted with a new 8 cyl Mirrlees Diesel engine and re-named LOCH MELFORT, sold by St. Andrews to Loch Fishing Co.
1964: To Wyre Trawlers Ltd and Registered at Fleetwood (FD228).
1968: Renamed WYRE CAPTAIN.
1975: Laid up.
05.1976: Sold to Mayer Newman & Co Ltd, Erith for demolition.
06.06.1976: Sailed Fleetwood for Falmouth in tow of tug OCEAN PULLER.
10.06.1976: Delivered to Porthleven Shipyard (Cornwall) Ltd, Porthleven for scrap.
18.06.1976: Demolition commenced.
Click to enlarge images
Wyre Captain FD228 - Pictures courtesy of the JJ Collection
Wyre Captain FD228 - Pictured (as Loch Melfort) courtesy of the JJ Collection
Prince Charles H249 - Courtesy of Mike Thompson
M.T. Wyre Captain FD228
and Wyre Corsair
Picture courtesy of David Slinger
M.T. Wyre Captain FD228
Picture courtesy of Len Charnley
M.T. Prince Charles H249
Picture by David Slinger courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection
M.T. Prince Charles H249
Picture courtesy of The Mark stopper Collection
M.T. Prince Charles H249
Picture courtesy of The Mark stopper Collection
Add
5.1976: Sold to Mayer Newman & Co Ltd, Erith for demolition.
6.6.1976: Sailed Fleetwood for Falmouth in tow of tug OCEAN PULLER.
Further
10.6.1976: Delivered to Porthleven Shipyard (Cornwall) Ltd, Porthleven.
18.6.1976: Work commenced.
Thanks Gil, the entry has now been updated.
was deckie on the captain when poor old nipper sumner was lost overboard.the ship lost a man for each of the years she was in commision(23)altogether. when she was first salvaged off norway she had to have a new engine anthe one that was put in was a left handed engine that was one of a pair for a navy ship from then on she allways fell on top of the gear whilst fishing as in astern she would go the opposite way!!!
interesting to read jim mc kernan write about captains left handed engine. i sailed on captain with skippper sparks. i was radio op.
it was apparently normal to run down the dock and astern engine through the dock gates. i recall, the skipper and chief mate got the left handed engine wrong and we put a hole in the bow and knocked out some stone from the lock gates, which are still missing today. seem to recall a lot of shouting at wyre deep sea offices, time was when i kept my head down. anyway, quite a first adventure, but boy was i seasick, but only for 18 of the 21 days. – did i get sympathy, well, you can probably work that one out yourself!!!