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 134.0′ x 23.6′ x 12.1′ and her tonnage was 275 gross tons, 75 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Fraser, Chalmers Ltd, Erith delivering 87 nominal horse power. She was ordered by the British Admiralty for war service 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.
In the early hours of the morning of 1st March 1927 the Jan Volders was steaming south, heading for Fleetwood 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
The wreck of the Jan Volders has not, as far as we know, been positively located and identified. However, there is a wreck charted in position 56° 41.660’N, 006° 25.567’W oriented 000/180 degrees. The wreck measures 38 x 15 x 4 metres which corresponds closely to the dimensions of the Jan Volders. We believe this wreck, which lies in 65 metres with a least depth clearance of 60 metres, is the Jan Volders. The survey of the wreck reports it sits upright with a heavy list to port.
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
