The Princess Patricia was a steel cargo passenger steamship of 837 gross tons, 275 net tons, built by the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd of Dundee (Yard No.174) and launched on 3rd November 1903. She measured 225.2′ x 32.1′ x 14.9′ and was powered by a triple expansion steam engine of 165 nominal horse power by Caledon SB Co. The Princess Patricia was owned by Matthew Langlands & Son of 45 Hope Street, Glasgow and traded on both the west and east coasts of the UK. The vessels official number was – 119070.
Princess Patricia under way
Lloyds register 1911
She departed from Manchester around 9pm on 18th October 1911 bound for Glasgow, under the command of her master, Neil McNicol. Aboard were a crew of 18 in total, she carried no passengers, and was loaded with around 800 tons of general cargo. By 6.45 pm on 19th October she was abeam of Corsewall Point and a course was set to pass to the west of Ailsa Craig, which they did around 8pm. Shortly afterwards they encountered rain with hazy conditions and reduced visibility, but lights were visible at about 3 miles.
When abreast of Pladda around 9pm a further course change was made, and then another some 5 minutes later, to the east away from the island but visibility remained poor. Around 5 minutes later at 9.10pm the Princess Patricia ran aground on Dippin Head at full speed.
Princess Patricia soon after going ashore.
The engine was stopped and no attempt was made to back the vessel off the rocks. The forward holds were badly holed with 8 feet of water with the pumps unable to stem the influx. Around 11pm the crew abandoned ship and got safely ashore to be met by the Coastguard who had responded to the rocket signals fired by the crew. A few hours later the Campbeltown lifeboat arrived on scene. She had been towed to Whiting Bay by the herring drifter Nightingale. As the shipwrecked crew had landed safely, the lifeboat remained at Whiting Bay until the following morning before returning to Campbeltown.
Princess Patricia after 4th November.
The crew of the Princess Patricia were boarded overnight in a local farm at Dippen. They returned to their ship the following day to await a salvage tug and lighters that had been dispatched from Greenock but, owing to the poor weather, nothing could be done. On 22nd October with improving weather, salvage work commenced on the cargo and repairs to the hull. Work continued until the 4th November when the Princess Patricia finally broke up and was abandoned by the Glasgow Salvage Association. The wreck was advertised for sale by public auction in January 1912 by the Glasgow Salvage Association with a closing date for offers of 8th February.
The purchase of the wreck by the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company was confirmed by mid February with an offer of £525. Work commenced almost immediately with the removal of further cargo and the main ship fittings such as winches, machinery, anchors and chain for re-sale. It is not clear whether the wreck was completely removed but was clearly dismantled to the waterline as no evidence of debris is visible along the coastline at Dippen Head.
A Board of Trade inquiry took place in Glasgow on 18th & 20th December 1911 in an attempt to understand the circumstance of the vessel’s loss. In the intervening period her master had died of natural causes and the key witness was therefore George MacDonald the Chief Officer – the man in charge at the time of the stranding. The story relating to the courses set by the Chief Officer and the eventual stranding are complex and we attach a copy of the report to let readers make your own assessment. However, the Court’s opinion was, that as the vessel had been navigated in a proper manner by the Chief Officer, the loss could only be explained by the theory that the ship’s compass was deflected by an electric lamp in the lookout man’s pocket. This man had been standing next to the binnacle before the stranding. By experiment the deflection was 4° with the lamp two feet from the compass and 8° when close by.
