Owner St. Malo & Binic Steamship Co. Ltd. Mgr James George Piprell.
Builder J. Fullerton & Co., Paisley. Yn 273 Comp 5.1923
Tonnage 287gr 134net
Dimensions 125.0(rl) 23.2 7.6
Propulsion Single screw, SR, 2cyl 15" & 32" -
Built to replace FAWN, this vessel was registered in Guernsey on May 12 1923 and took up the services to the two French ports, but the trade was changing. Two years later the vessel underwent alterations to crew accommodation, the outward evidence being the plating in of the aft deck, the work being undertaken at Southampton with a survey dated 4th June 1925.
By this time the trade of the company trade was altering, with Binic being worst affected, but Saint Malo also saw a downturn. The result was that the ship was used more and more on inter island services and also operated a day excursion from Jersey to Sark during the summer.
To reflect this the company changed it’s name in 1933 to the Guernsey Alderney & Sark S.S. Co. with the managers now being J.G. Piprell & E.G. Piprell.
Trade continued to change, and in August 1938 the company was purchased by Capt. J. A. Leighton who had already purchased Sark Motor Ships, and he was appointed Manager on 20th October.
The vessel was used extensively in the evacuation of the Islands at the outbreak of the War in May and June 1940 before she sailed to England for the duration, but she was not to return.
It is understood that the vessel spent most of the war in the Clyde area, but before it ended Capt. Leighton died but according to the ships register she remained owner by Guernsey Alderney & Sark S.S. Co. and on 16th May 1946 the ships manager was inscribed as Farrar Wolferstan Thomas. The vessel continued to be used around the coast, and was noted arriving Rochester after a bad passage on 18th March 1947.
By early 1950 she was laid up at Appledore, and on 11th September 1950 she was registered to Ronald William Fielding, Leeds. A year later on 23rd October 1951 she passed to George Bros Engineers, Swansea and mortgaged to Lloyds Bank. In February 1952 it was stated that the vessel was due to be broken up at Southampton, but it was then stated that she was awaiting a tow to Cardiff for conversion into a motor vessel but this did not take place.
She probably remained laid-
It was not until 25th April 1955 that the ship’s register was closed.
Picture :
NEW FAWN entering St. Peter Port. 301(2) 527k
Picture :
Seen here at Alderney with a good number of passengers. 302 102k
Picture :
Entering St. Helier Harbour. 415 137k
Picture :
NEW FAWN seen in Saint Malo, moored at the end of the Gare Maritime. This is
a section taken from a post card. 601w 877k