The iron steam trawler Rhodesia was launched from the Beverley yard of Cook, Welton and Gemmell Ltd (Yard No 229) on 31st December 1898. She measured 105.0′ x 20.6′ x 11.0′ and her tonnage was 155 gross tons, 55 net tons. She was powered by triple expansion steam engine by Amos and Smith Ltd., Hull delivering 40 registered horse power. She was ordered by the Hull Steam Fishing and Ice Co Ltd and registered there on 25th January 1899 H443.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1912.
SS Rhodesia
With the outbreak of Word War One many of Britain’s huge fishing fleet were requisitioned by the Admiralty for war service. The Rhodesia was requisitioned in early 1915 and converted to an armed trawler. Unfortunately her war service was to be brief. On 9th April 1915 she was on patrol in the Minch under the command of Philip Marr RNR. The details of her stranding are not recorded but for some reason she ended up running aground on Tulm Island off the village of Duntulm. The position of the wreck inshore of the island and close to the mainland shore would indicate that perhaps she was sheltering from some bad weather at the time of her loss. Thankfully the crew managed to escape safely but the Rhodesia was to become a total wreck.
Wreck site of Rhodesia, Tulm Island
The wreck of the Rhodesia lies in position 57° 41.243’N, 006° 20.814’W oriented 090/270 degrees on the south east point of the island of Tulm closest to Duntulm village. The wreck lies with a sixty degree list to port with her starboard side almost breaking the surface. She lies on a white shingle sand seabed in 10 metres. We have no recent reports of the status of the wreck but it will obviously have deteriorated significantly since the site was visited by the author in the 1980’s.
