The steel steam trawler Thomas Daniels was launched fom the yard of Bow McLachlan and Co Ltd., Paisley (Yard No 360) on 10th July 1918. She measured 125.7′ x 23.4′ x 12.8′ and her tonnage was 275 gross tons, 109 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Fraser, Chalmers Ltd, Erith delivering 87 nominal horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1922.
She was ordered by the British Admiralty for war service to the Castle Class standard design No.3680, but was launched close to the end of Word War One and, as such, saw limited action. In 1921 she was sold by the Admiralty to Oostendsche Reederij NV, Ostende who renamed her Jan Volders.
HM trawler – Castle class.
In the early hours of the morning of 1st March 1927 the Jan Volders was steaming south, heading for Fleetwood, her holds full of haddock and cod. On the bridge her skipper, Vermeersch, his mate and a deckhand were enjoying the flat calm seas although, as they journeyed south, the fog thickened and soon visibility was very poor. Without warning the trawler ran hard aground on an unseen reef. They had struck the Cairns of Coll. A group of rocks lying at the north end of the island. The remainder of the crew, who were in their bunks below, were unceremoniously thrown onto the floor as she hit. They scrambled on deck to find their vessel stuck hard on the rocks bow first but with a heavy list which was allowing water to flow into the holds and cabins. While the danger was not imminent it was clear that the continued ingress of water was going to eventually sink the trawler. After distress messages were sent out and flares lit they waited for rescue. Some hours later the Norwegian cargo steamer Longford arrived on the scene. The crew, who had launched the ship’s boat in preparation, disembarked and were quickly picked up by the steamer despite the absence of one of the boat’s oars. They were only just in time because, as they climbed aboard the steamer, the Jan Volders slipped of the rocks and sank in deep water.
Lloyds casualty report
We first dived this wreck in 2007 aboard the MV Silver Swift skippered by Paul Gallagher. The wreck lies 1.7km south east of the Cairns of Coll light beacon in position 56° 41.668’N 06° 25.561’W. The wreck is oriented NNW/SSE with bow pointing south. The wreck is of classic trawler layout, which from bow to stern comprises focsle, large fish hold, boiler with engine to rear and stern accommodation area. The survey measurements are also very close to the build dimensions for this vessel. The hull is incomplete in areas and plating thin, and canted over to port and part buried in the coarse gravel and shell seabed. General seabed depths are 66-67 metres, and the wreck rises a maximum of 3 metres around the engine room. Strong tides run north/south along the east coast of Coll, making this a slack water dive.
Seabed scan of wreck and surrounding area
We’d like to thank Lloyds Register Foundation for their permission to reproduce documents from their archive in this article
