M.T. Dayspring H183 | Fleetwood Motor Trawlers

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger, Robin Youngman and Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 301628
Yard Number: 1453
Completed: 1960
Gross Tonnage: 452.79
Net Tonnage: 149.98
Length: 139.4 ft
Breadth: 28.2 ft
Depth: 13.35 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 8-cyl 1000bhp oil engine by Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day Ltd, Stockport

History

Cost to build £182,000 (WFA Grant £37,500).
19.9.1959: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.1453) for Robin’s Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Hull as DAYSPRING.
29.02.1960: Registered at Hull (H183).
29.2.1960: William John Robins designated manager.
1.3.1960: Completed.
03.03.1960: Sailed on first trip to Faroe grounds.
11.3.1960: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to the White Fish Authority, London to secure sums due on an account current with interest as agreed.(A).
1960: Landings from Faroe/Iceland/North Sea – 283 days 10611 kits £47,806 gross.
20.5.1961: Robin’s Trawlers Ltd bought by Basil Arthur Parkes, Hessle (Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd managing agents).
23.6.1961: Last landing at Hull (Sk. D. Cornack) Iceland – 16 days 1120 kits £5,277 gross.
1961: Landings at Hull from Faroe/Iceland – 157 days 6620 kits £30,338 gross.
26.6.1961: Sailed Hull for fishing grounds (Sk. Ronald Slapp). To land at Fleetwood.
11.7.1961: First landing at Fleetwood, 230 kits. Fishing out of Fleetwood.
15.8.1961: Sold to Parbel-Smith Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen (Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Group, Fleetwood).
18.8.1961: Basil Arthur Parkes, Hessle designated manager.
28.11.1961: Sailed Fleetwood for fishing grounds (Sk. Ronald Slapp) in fine clear weather. At 9.00 am. off the Isle of Man in collision with London registered motor tanker AUSPICITY (402grt/1944) on passage Greenock for Liverpool with part cargo vegetable oil; both vessels damaged. AUSPICITY, listing, put into Ramsey with port side rails and shell plates midships set in and holed. DAYSPRING returned to Fleetwood leaking in forepeak.
29.11.1961: After landing ice, placed on slip for survey and repair. Stem twisted, several shell plates set in and holed on starboard bow. Repairs effected and returned to service.
17.2.1962: Aberdeen crew left Aberdeen for Fleetwood to take over vessel. To sail for Icelandic grounds and land in Aberdeen.
29.3.1962: Reported that vessel was refused membership of the Aberdeen Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association. Required to seek permission to land at Aberdeen every time she returned from a distant water trip. After an unfortunate trip losing gear and having to return with a poor catch, sailed for Icelandic grounds to land at Grimsby.
3.4.1962: Registered at Hull as ADMIRAL NELSON (H183) (MoT Minute RSS8/1/02487 dated 3.2.1962).
25.4.1962: Transferred to fish out of Grimsby (Boston Deep Sa Fisheries Ltd, Grimsby managing agents).
26.4.1962: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to the White Fish Authority, London for the sum of £99,344 with interest as agreed (B).
27.7.1962: Mortgage (A) discharged.
9.3.1963: Registered at Hull as PRINCESS ROYAL (H183) (BoT Minute RSS8/1/02743 dated 27.2.1963).
By 6.1966: Being operated in the name of White Fish Authority, London (Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd, Grimsby managing agents).
18.6.1968: Last trip from Grimsby. Sailed for Iceland (Sk. Raymond William Evans).
2.7.1968: Landed 835 kits (709 kits shelf) £2,753 gross. Laid up and offered for sale.
26.8.1968: Mortgage (B) discharged.
29.8.1968: Sold to Irvin & Johnson Ltd, Cape Town, South Africa.
18.10.1968: Hull registry closed.
10.1968: Registered at Cape Town.
1983: Vessel stripped of reusable parts and non-ferrous metals.
09.05.1983: Hulk scuttled off Robben Island, Cape Town.
5.1983: Cape Town registry closed.

Note: The AUSPICITY was an Everard tanker, ex CHANT war built, straight framed and built in weldments in small workshops, brought to the shipyard and assembled; she was pretty strong as befits a ship that was expected to beach and discharge.

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