Comte de Smet de Naeyer

The iron hulled sailing ship Comte de Smet de Naeyer was launched by the Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Company on 11th October 1904.  She measured 267.0′ x 41.1′ x 23.6′ and her tonnage was 1863 gross tons.

She was constructed as a cadet training ship for the Association Maritime Belge S.A. On 20th October 1904, during her fitting out in James Watt Dock, Greenock, she slipped over on her beam ends 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 22nd 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.