Socrates

The Socrates was a steel steam trawler built by Mackie & Thomson at Govan in Glasgow (Yard No.331) launched on 12th May 1906. She was built to the order of the Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Company of Hull (H 885)  She measured 138.6′ x 23.0′ x 11.7′ and her tonnage was 295 gross tons, 110 tons net tons. She was powered by a 67 registered horse power triple expansion steam engine supplied by W. V. V. Lidgerwood of Coatbridge. The Socrates was sold in 1912 to James Marr of Fleetwood and re-registered there as FD163 and remained in this ownership until her loss. Her official number was 123256.

On the 6th January 1913 the Socrates was homeward bound to Fleetwood after a two week trip to the fishing grounds off the west coast of Scotland. She was manned by eleven crew which included her skipper Philip Burnham. As they headed south along the Galloway coast in the late evening they were on a course towards the Point of Ayre at the north end of the Isle of Man. The night was pitch black, there was thick fog and heavy rain and there had been no recent sightings of any lighthouse. Around 1am the Socrates suddenly lurched violently sending those not in their bunks sprawling across the decks as the ship ground to a halt. There was a moderate sea running and the Socrates began bumping heavily on the rocks. The ship’s boat was immediately launched but it soon became clear that she was hard aground and her bow was close to a rocky headland.

The vessel was in a perilous situation.  The crew concluded that they needed to abandon the Socrates as the constant grinding of the ships hull on the rocks would no doubt cause a breech and it would soon flood and possibly sink in deeper water. They all managed to get ashore around 2am  to the safety of a ledge of rock but they were still not out of danger. With a rising tide they soon had to move higher up the cliff which, in the pitch dark, rain and slippery rock face,  was a very dangerous task. They found another higher ledge and remained there awaiting daylight.

As dawn broke they looked back to see that the Socrates had slipped off the rocks and back into deeper water. She now lay some 20 metres from the shoreline, partially submerged, with her bow and superstructure still breaking the surface. The men couldn’t see any signs of buildings close by their position so started to walk east and, after a considerable time, they came across a farmhouse where they were given food and shelter. Thankfully none of the men were seriously harmed and they soon recovered in the warmth of the farmhouse. Later they made their way to Drummore where they were looked after by representatives of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society.

The Socrates had run ashore on the south side of Clanyard Bay and had slipped off the rocks overnight leaving her lying partially flooded in approximate position 54° 41.805’N  04° 57.615’W. The following week the wreck was visited by the Liverpool Salvage Associations vessel Lady Kate and, after an inspection by their salvage officer and a diver, an offer to refloat the Socrates was made to her insurers.  This offer was declined, and she was left to be salvaged as she lay. The vessels registry was closed in 1913. 

In 1977 wreckage was reported to exist close to the position above, lying among gulleys on a shelving rocky seabed between 3 -12 metres. The boiler was the highest point, the remains resulting from extensive salvage and exposed location to wave action.  We have no more up to date reports on what may remain there today.