Chevalier

Although various minor incidents and stranding’s of paddle steamers have occurred since, the last vessel of this type to become a total loss in the Clyde area was the PS Chevalier II on Friday 25th March, 1927. She had been launched on 12th April 1866 from the yard of J & G Thomson in Govan (Yard No.88) for David Hutcheson. The vessel’s iron hull measured 211.0′ x 22.2′ x 9.3′ and her tonnage was 302 gross tons, 121 net tons.  She was powered by a 2 cylinder oscillating compound steam engine by J & G Thomson delivering 199 nominal horse power.

At her loss, the Chevalier was owned by David MacBrayne and was on her usual route from Glasgow to Ardrishaig when she was disabled off Tarbert, Loch Fyne as her starboard paddlewheel gave way. Drifting helpless and broadside to a southerly gale, her anchors were cast but did not hold and she was driven onto the rocks at the south east end of Barmore Island. The ship’s boats were immediately launched and the twenty passengers, their luggage and the crew were safely landed ashore near Stonefield Castle. The passengers and some of the crew were rescued later that day by another MacBrayne’s vessel, the Gondolier and taken to Ardrishaig. Some of the crew remained near the vessel including Captain Cameron and they were able to board the vessel the following day to recover equipment of value and personal possessions. The Chevalier was awash and sitting on large boulders close to the shore, she had clearly been holed in the stormy sea conditions.

Two days later a small salvage steamer the SS Leelight arrived with a diver and equipment necessary to try and refloat the vessel. Initial inspections confirmed that the vessel was holed in two places and that a number of large boulders would need to be blasted to clear a path for the Chevalier to be towed off. After blasting works and patching was complete, the Chevalier was pumped out and refloated on 1st April and towed into Tarbert harbour by the Liverpool tug Trover. She remained in Tarbert for a two days while further repairs were made before being towed to Greenock, where she arrived on 4th April and dry docked for inspection.

The outcome of the inspections confirmed that the extensive repairs required to an already 60 year old vessel were deemed to be uneconomical and the Chevalier was written off as a constructive total loss. She was eventually taken to Troon later in April where she was finally dismantled.