The Vanderbyl was a small iron steamship built by Thomas B. Seath & Company of Rutherglen and launched in February 1864. After a number of previous owners, she was purchased in 1875 by James Duff, a businessman based in the Isle of Whithorn. The Vanderbyl was engaged as a general cargo carrier along the north west coast of England, the Isle of Man and east coast of Ireland. She was powered by a small 2 cylinder compound steam engine of 35hp. Her dimensions were 89.3’ x 16.1’ x 8.1’ with tonnage of 78 gross and 56 net. Her official number was 48679.
SS Vanderbyl
In the early hours of Friday 11 December 1879 the the Vanderbyl was on a voyage from Whitehaven to Port William with a cargo of coal. In the latter part of the voyage thick fog was encountered off Burrow Head Wigtownshire, and the coaster later ran aground close to her home port of the Isle of Whithorn. The following day local residents awoke to the sight of the partially sunken vessel just west of the harbour entrance, among the Screen Rocks. Fortunately the crew had been able to reach safety in the ship’s boat. As for the Vanderbyl she was written off as a constructive total loss, and was taken off the shipping register in 1890. It is likely that she was salvaged in-situ, and any remains of the Vanderbyl may lie close to position 54° 41.569’N 04° 21.766’W.
An interesting aside to this story features her owner John Duff. He replaced the Vanderbyl in November 1890 with the slightly larger SS Express only to see her founder off Whitehaven on 6 December 1890, a most unfortunate incident.
