Ssafa

The steel motor trawler Ssafa was launched from the Goole Shipbuilding and Repair Co Ltd. (Yard No 509) on 26th October 1957.  She measured  138.8′ x 28.5′ x 14.3′ and her tonnage was 426 gross tons, 139 net tons.  She was powered by an 8 cylinder 4SA diesel engine by Mirrlees, Bickerton and Co Ltd., Stockport delivering 1000 brake horse power.  Ordered by Boston deep Sea Fishing Company Ltd er unusual name derived from the initial letters of the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Families Association.  She was registered in Fleetwood FD155. Her official number was 187863. 

She ran aground during a gale in Frisand Bay, Coll on Tuesday 17th January, 1961 to become the latest in a long line of trawlers from that port which have been lost off the Scottish west coast. The first indication of a problem was a mayday message received by Oban Radio at 6:36am GMT that morning. Within minutes a number of vessels were heading for her position to render assistance but Skipper Harry Pook, after a quick investigation below, cancelled the mayday one hour later as it was clear they were in no immediate danger. With the Ssafa’s sister ship Princess Ann and the Mallaig lifeboat, which could not approach the wreck due to the Ssafa’s position close to the shore among jagged rocks, standing by, they waited for the tide to rise hoping to refloat her at high water. Twelve of the crew were pulled ashore through the surf by the island lifesaving team and were now safely aboard the lifeboat leaving the skipper and three others on the Ssafa to attempt to pull her off. However, as the tide rose and the Ssafa gradually took on a severe list to port, it was obvious that they were not going to succeed and the skipper and his three colleagues reluctantly abandoned their vessel to be picked up by the lifeboat which then returned to Mallaig. Weather reports the day after she went ashore described sea conditions in the area as terrible with huge waves pounding the grounded trawler. The last sting in the tail of the story of the Ssafa came as the Clyde salvage vessel Plantagenet made her way from the scene later in the week she too ran aground near Skye in a seven knot tide but luckily she survived although she had to be towed back to the Clyde by one of her own tugs.  Ssafa was later successfully refloated and returned to service after repair.