Built by Davie Shipbuilding and Repair Company of Levis, Quebec the Castle Class steam trawler TR36 was built to the order of the British Admiralty and launched on 5th June 1918. Her dimensions were 125.7′ x 23.5′ x 12.7′ and her tonnage was 271 gross tons, 123 net tons. Her official number was 148222. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Collingwood Shipbuilding Company, Ontario. The engine powered a single screw and delivered 86 nominal horse power. Intended for service in the Canadian Navy, she saw little active service as World War One ended months later and she was finally transferred to the United Kingdom in 1921 wher she was laid up before she was purchased by the Boston Deep Sea Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood in August 1926, renamed Ferrol and registered FD124.
Ferrol launch (as TR35)
Lloyd’s register 1931
In December 1931 Ferrol, skippered by Robert Stafford, who had a crew of ten men under his command, was fishing the productive fishing grounds off the Butt of Lewis. On 7th December, with holds full of fish, Stafford decided to head for home and steered south east into the Minch. By 5.00am the following morning they were off Tiumpan Head battered by a heavy gale and huge seas. It appears they had veered off course in the poor visibility and stormy seas as, at around 6:00am they ran hard aground at Grianan Point, Lewis.
Ferrol aground at Grinian Point, Lewis
The Ferrol was aground just south of the village of Sheshader at the base of a steep cliff. Her distress messages were picked up and the Stornoway lifeboat and the Coastguard rescue team were dispatched to the site. However, the precarious position of the wreck, bumping heavily on the rocks with her decks awash and with power lost, forced the crew to take their predicament into their own hands. The mate, William Atkinson, bravely volunteered to take a rope to the shore and plunged into the boiling surf. Thankfully he made it safely ashore and, with the rope secured, the crew, one by one, pulled themselves to safety. They were then faced with a daunting climb of the steep cliffs but, after two hours, they managed to reach the top of the cliffs and then walk to Sheshader. They were warmly welcomed and looked after the villagers who were amazed that they had managed to climb to safety from the wreck site. Meanwhile Ferrol had slipped off the rocks and, by the following day when the sea calmed down she sat upright with only her masts, wheelhouse and funnel visible.
Lloyd’s Casualty report
The Ferrol was declared a constructive total loss as she was battered by continuing bad weather in the days after her grounding. We have been unable to establish if the wreck was subsequently salvaged or has been explored but we have assigned a position north of Grianan Point at 58° 13.301′ N, 006° 09.274′ W.
We would like to thank Lloyds Register Foundation – Heritage and Education Centre for their permission to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
