SS (RMS) Fenella (I), No.76303, was an Iron twin-screw steamer operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and was the first ship in the company's history to bear the name.
Construction and dimensions Fenella was built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company of Barrow-in-Furness and was launched at Barrow by Miss Barnett on Thursday 9 June 1881.The Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular. Tuesday 14 June 1881. Tonnage ; length 200 ft; beam 26 ft; depth 13 ft. The vessel cost £18,750 and was certificated for a crew of 28 and 504 passengers. She had an indicated horsepower of 1,200 and a speed of 14 knots, with a boiler pressure of 85 psi. She was driven by two sets of vertical compound engines, each with cylinder bores of 23 and 42 inches, with a stroke of 24 inches.
There was a slight delay in the construction of Fenella, due to a misunderstanding about the construction of her sleeping accommodation. The Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular described her as:
Following her fitting out and Sea Trials, Fenella arrived at her home port, Douglas, under the command of Capt. Gibson on Saturday 9 July 1881, and then proceeded on a trial run between Douglas and Maughold Head.The Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular. Tuesday 12 July 1881.
Service life Fenella served with the Steam Packet fleet for 48 years, including serving the Island during the First World War. At least one mercantile authority considers that from a steamship development viewpoint, the Fenella was the most interesting vessel built for the company since the first vessel, , in 1830.
Her work demonstrated that high steam pressure with compound engines, having a higher piston speed than would have been practical in a paddle steamer, gave her greater economy in performance.
Amongst Fenella’s first operational duties, was a special excursion to the River Clyde, departing Douglas for Greenock on Thursday 14 July.Mona’s Herald. Wednesday 13 July 1881. As well as this, the Fenella, along with her sister Tynwald, was employed in a series of round-the-island summer cruises.The Isle of Man Examiner. Saturday 13 August 1881. On Tuesday 16 August 1881 the steamer Princess Royal broke down to the northeast of the Isle of Man whilst making passage between Liverpool and Glasgow. She was taken under tow to Ramsey Bay, and eventually her passengers and luggage were transferred to the Fenella, which was en route form Douglas to Glasgow.The Mona’s Herald. Wednesday 17 August 1881.
Fenella’s introduction into winter service proved popular with passengers as she established her reputation as a fine and reliable sea boat.Mona’s Herald. Wednesday 1 February 1882.
On Tuesday 7 November 1882, the Fenella recorded the fastest time for passage between Whitehaven and Ramsey, sailing from pier to pier in a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes.Mona’s Herald. Wednesday 15 November 1882.
A mixture of easterly storms in the Irish Sea, which hampered operations from Ramsey, combined with fog in the River Mersey during early January 1883, resulted in severe disruption. The Fenella departed Ramsey at 09:00 hrs on the morning of Saturday 7 January, arriving alongside the Prince’s Landing Stage at 13:00 hrs the following day, resulting in a time of 28 hours at sea.
On Friday 19 January 1883, the Fenella took the Mona’s Isle under tow to Barrow in order for her to undergo her rebuild. Following her conversion, Mona’s Isle rejoined the fleet under her new name, Ellan Vannin.The Manx Sun. Saturday 20 January 1883.
Fenella was overhauled in 1894 and a full electric light system fitted—56 lights in all. The installation was carried out by J. W. Holmes of Liverpool, who also installed electric lighting in Fenella's younger sister , at the same time. The cost of the work for the two vessels was £505.
Primarily a cargo ship, intended to do passenger runs as a relief service in winter, it could possibly be claimed that she worked harder than any other of the company's ships in her day. She served on every route the Steam Packet Company then operated, including the Peel – Belfast run, one of a number no longer operated. Fenella also operated numerous sailings to the Isle of Man from Whitehaven.
On one occasion she made six round trips between Douglas and Liverpool and then took troops to Kingstown, all in three days.
On Saturday 6 June 1896, a new lifeboat was acquired by Douglas, replacing the previous one which had been destroyed in Douglas Harbour during a south-easterly gale on the night of Saturday 12 January 1895.Mona's Herald 13 June 1896Isle of Man Times. Tuesday 15 January 1895. The new lifeboat shared the same name as the previous one: Civil Service, No. 6. Built by Messers Rutherford of Birkenhead, she was towed across to the Isle of Man by the Fenella.
Mail and cargo Fenella was designed to carry a mixture of passengers and cargo. Her designation as a Royal Mail Ship (RMS) indicated that she carried mail under contract with the Royal Mail. A specified area was allocated for the storage of letters, parcels and specie (bullion, coins and other valuables). In addition, there was a considerable quantity of regular cargo, ranging from furniture to foodstuffs and even motor cars.
During early March 1900, there were several rumours spread throughout the Isle of Man concerning the possibility of a banking crisis, which ultimately led to a run on the Island’s banks.The Isle of Man Examiner. Saturday 17 March 1900 What amounted to panic spread, with depositors all wishing to withdraw their money in gold. These requests were met; however, the gold had to be despatched from Douglas, and reserves were heavily called upon. The Fenella was required to sail for Liverpool, and returned to the island early in the hours of Friday 16 March, with gold bullion totalling £200,000 on board.
War service Although not requisitioned for war service, Fenella, together with the , shared the Douglas–Liverpool route throughout the First World War. Even though she was not directly involved in the war, Fenella had a number of close encounters with floating mines but was never hit; the minesweepers worked day and night to keep the approaches to Liverpool open, and although there were casualties, they were relatively few.
Fenella's first wartime task was to transport 200 reservists from the Isle of Man to Liverpool on the night of 7 August 1914.The Ramsey Courier. Friday 8 August 1914.
A strike by dockers at Douglas in February 1915 required the unloading of cargo from the Fenella to be undertaken by members of the Armed Forces. She was again the centre of an industrial dispute in December 1917, when dockers at Ramsey, members of the Workers Union, refused to work with non-union dockers.The Ramsey Courier. Friday 14 December 1917.
Incidents Fenella served the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for 48 years. Although considered reliable, her long life was not without incident.
In the early hours of Friday 27 January 1882, whilst making passage from Glasgow to Douglas, the Fenella was involved in a collision with the steamer Peri.The Mona’s Herald. Wednesday 1 February 1882. The Peri was a wooden screw steamer of . She was registered in Newcastle, and was en route from Abergelly to Glasgow with a cargo of limestone. At a position to the east of Maughold Head, the Peri struck the Fenella amidships. Whilst causing minimal damage to the Fenella, the Peri sustained a significant level of damage and made immediately for Ramsey. The Fenella escorted the Peri into Ramsey.
Menai Straights Incident In September 1884 Fenella was involved in an incident in the Menai Strait, Anglesey, which resulted in a protracted and complicated lawsuit. This involved the owners of the steamer Satanella, who laid claims for salvage services which were rendered as a result of the incident.The Manx Sun. Saturday 13 December 1884
On Tuesday 9 September 1884, Fenella departed Douglas, Isle of Man, on an excursion bound for the Menai Bridge. Under the command of her master, Captain James Mylchreest, she had 200 excursionists embarked,The Manx Sun. Saturday 13 September 1884 and reached the Menai Bridge at 15:00 hrs, where she disembarked her passengers. The Bonnie Princess then arrived from Liverpool and so the Fenella cast off the pontoon and proceeded to swing prior to coming to anchor in the part of the straights known as the Swellies. During the course of executing this manoeuvre, Fenella′s starboard bilge struck the Half Tide Rock, where she grounded, and water began to enter the vessel. On realising Fenella′s plight, Captain Mylchreest ordered her port anchor to be lowered and a hawser was got out from her starboard bow and made fast ashore. Soundings were then taken which showed a depth of 10 feet (3 metres) on the starboard quarter, four fathoms (24 feet; 7.3 metres) on the port quarter and seven fathoms (42 feet; 12.8 metres) on either side of the bridge. The sluices were closed and two of Fenella′s lifeboats were lowered into the water.
The tide continued to ebb, causing Fenella to slip and heel over to port, exposing the damage incurred. Captain Mylchreest and his officers inspected the damage and found that a gash had been inflicted on her starboard side that was 10 inches (25.4 cm) long and 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide. The ship's carpenter managed to wedge and plaster the damage with clay so that it was rendered watertight. Two other holes were subsequently discovered on the port side, one seven inches (17.8 cm) long and 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide and the other 15 inches (38.1 cm) long and 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide, which led to the engine room and aft hold respectively. Fenella′s master engaged the services of a pilot in order to assist with the situation, and at 19:00 hours Satanella arrived at the scene.
Satanella was a screw-powered pleasure steamer of . She was operated by the Liverpool, Llandudno and Welsh Coast Steamship Company and owned by Earnest Latham of Liverpool. Satanella had a crew of seven, who were under the command of her master, Captain William Thomas, and was in the process of ferrying passengers between Caernarfon and Beaumaris.
Following discussion between the two masters, it was agreed that the Satanella should take the Fenella under tow when she floated and to proceed to the beach. For this, a consideration of £4 was agreed and this amount was to be paid whether the operation was successful or not. As the tide flowed, the Fenella gradually righted herself and subsequently floated, at which time the Satanella was signaled to come alongside, which she duly did, drawing up on Fenella's port side and made fast. At 23:00 hrs, the Satanella cast off and the Fenella swung to her anchor. After about ten minutes Fenella raised and stowed her anchor and the Satanella commenced the tow. When the vessels were athwart the stream, the Satanella attempted to tow the Fenella to the Anglesey side of the Straights. However, Capt. Mylchreest had reportedly signaled for the tow to be to the Caernarfon shore, as the ebb tide was canting the Fenella's head to the northward. Captain Thomas, however, continued to make for the Anglesey shore, which brought the Fenella into a dangerous situation as the Prince Arthur was laying alongside the Menai Bridge Pontoon. The pilot on board the Fenella signaled to the Satanella to cast off the tow rope, which was carried out, and the rope was hauled back on board the Fenella.
The collision, however, could not be avoided, and Fenella collided with Prince Arthur, causing damage, and Fenella thereupon secured alongside Prince Arthur.
During the course of this, the Satanella had got herself into a dangerous position behind the pontoon, but after approximately thirty minutes she managed again to get a line to the Fenella and proceeded to take her under tow towards the Caernarfon shore.