The steel steam trawler Evergreen was launched from the Govan yard of Mackie and Thomson Ltd (Yard No 283) on 2nd December 1902. She measured 109.1′ x 21.6′ x 10.6′ and her tonnage was 180 gross tons, 70 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Muir and Houston Ltd., Glasgow delivering 48 registered horse power. Ordered by the Great Northern Steamship Fishing Co Ltd of Hull she was initially registered in this port as H178. Subsequent Scarborough owners followed before she was purchased by her final owner Mr Alexander Bruce of Aberdeen in 1934 and registered in that port as A184.
Steam trawler Evergreen under way
Just after 2am on 16th January 1936 the Evergreen sailed from Aberdeen under the command of her skipper David Noble who had a crew of eight men aboard and steamed for the fishing grounds. By 4:40pm on the 17th with a deteriorating weather forecast, skipper Noble decided to take shelter to let the weather pass and set a course south south east for Kinnaird Head. By 9:45pm the light at Kinnaird Head was sighted. As they approached Kinnaird Lighthouse the skipper decided to wait out the night and proceed with the voyage the next morning. As such the engines were stopped and at 10:30pm the 2nd fisherman and deckhand, Alfred Brown who although was acting second hand on this voyage had his own skipper‘s certificate, took over the watch and the Noble went below. At this point they estimated the light at Kinnaird Head was some 5 or 6miles to the south east of their position. Around 0.55am the wind veered to a more north westerly direction and Brown decided it was not safe to drift with the wind in this new direction so restarted the engines and set a course south east by south running the engine full speed ahead intending to round Kinnaird Head and taken shelter in the lee of the land. By now it was snowing heavily reducing visibility to almost zero and Kinnaird Head light was no longer visible. At 1:25am Brown, uncertain of this position, ordered the engines stopped but, minutes after this, the Evergreen ran aground. Despite the engine being run at full speed astern she was stuck fast. She had stranded at Sandhaven about half a mile from Rosehearty.
The Fraserburgh lifeboat Lady Rothes was launched just after 2am following a message from the local coastguard. The Fraserburgh rocket apparatus team was also raised and headed for the scene. When the lifeboat reached the wreck they could see the Evergreen was in a perilous situation. The night was dark and cold with heavy snow showers. She was 50 yards from the shore surrounded by rocks lying at an angle of forty five degrees. Her port gunwhale was under water and the waves were breaking over her starboard side. Coxswain James Sim skilfully dropped anchor off the wreck and let his boat drift near the lee side of Evergreen. They then succeeded in getting ropes onto the trawler allowing the crew to pull the lifeboat alongside. Five minutes later, with the nine crewmen safely aboard, the lines were cut and they pulled out on the anchor to the safety of open water. By 4am they were all back in the shelter of Fraserburgh harbour.
The Evergreen became a total loss. At the subsequent enquiry the court found that the stranding was primarily caused by a wrongful act and default by Alfred Brown who should have consulted the skipper before starting the vessel’s engine and suspended his skipper’s certificate for twelve months. They also found skipper Noble contributed to the default by not leaving specific instructions for Brown when he went below. Noble was severely censured and ordered to pay towards the cost of the enquiry.
