The steel steamship Clint was built for Mrs Susannah Kelly of Belfast and launched from the Paisley yard of J Fullerton and Co Ltd (Yard No 132) on 26th June 1896 She measured 125.0′ x 20.0′ x 9.0′ and her tonnage was 197 gross tons, 32 net tons. She was powered by a compound steam engine by Ross & Duncan Ltd, Glasgow delivering 43 nominal horse power.
Builders drawing – Lloyd’s Register Foundation
Subsequently the Clint operated for various Irish owners until she was acquired by James Piggins of Montrose in 1924. Working as a coastal steamship on the North Sea coast she served on the east coast routes for the next three years.
Steamship Clint under way
On 15th March, 1927 Clint departed from her home port just before midnight bound for Weymouth with a cargo of 158 tons of potatoes for Mr D Hill Batchelor. She was under the command of Captain Godsman of Aberdeen with a crew of five men aboard. Almost immediately on leaving the harbour the Clint began to ship water with huge waves and swell breaking over her decks and superstructure driven by strong south easterly winds. She gradually began to settle by the stern and list to port and it became evident she would not survive. The crew quickly launched their lifeboat and abandoned ship. Luckily the SS Dunsmore was nearby and, answering the distress calls from the doomed vessel, safely picked up the crew who survived the episode with only a few cuts and bruises to show for their ordeal. They watched as their ship drifted off into the darkness slowly sinking by the stern about a mile off Scurdy Ness. The Dunsmore later dropped the crew off at Leith before continuing her own voyage south.
The wreck of the Clint lies in the above noted position and was swept clear to 15 metres in 1955. It is not known if any substantial wreckage remains as there have been no further Hydrographic Department surveys on the site since 1975. An unverified diver report indicates that the wreck is still visible lying on its side in 22 metres, rising 4 metres from the seabed in position 56° 42.191’N, 002° 24.594’W.
Lloyds Weekly Casualty report
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
