Comte de Smet de Naeyer

This Comte de Smet de Naeyer was launched by the Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Company on 11 October 1904 she was an iron hulled sailing ship of 1863gt and with dimensions of 267.0′ x 41.1′ x 23.6’.

The Comte de Smet de Naeyer was built as a cadet training ship for her owners, the Association Maritime Belge S.A. On 20 October during her fitting out in James Watt Dock, Greenock, she slipped over on her beam end and sank, barely giving time for the many workers aboard to escape with their lives. It took four weeks to raise her but fitting out was completed and she was handed over to her owners in late December 1904. The Comte de Smet de Naeyer finally left Greenock on the 22 December 1904 in perfect order under tow of the tug President Ludwig, bound for Antwerp.

This was not the end of the story for the Comte de Smet de Naeyer. Belgian experts were concerned about her seaworthiness even before she left Greenock. Their doubts were tragically confirmed when, two years later, on 19th April, 1906, she sprang a leak and sank off Ushant, drowning thirty two of the fifty four crew on board, including eighteen cadets on their first voyage.