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ST. GILES

Shipbuildervessel built by Hall, Russell & Company, Limited (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)

Shipownervessel built for North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company

Date1903

Object NamePASSENGER AND CARGO VESSEL

MediumSTEEL

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 190 3/6' x breadth 28 1/12' x depth 14 1/12'
Gross Tonnage: 609 ton

Object numberABDSHIP002046

Keywords

About MeYard: Hall, Russell & Co.
Yard Number: 371
Official Number: 118164
Subsequent Names: PSYCHE (1913); KHALIFA (1918).

Fate: Scrapped 1928.

Propulsion: Steam
Description: Passenger vessel, 1 deck with shelter deck

Owners:
1903: North of Scotland & Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company.
1913: Sold to Sultan of Zanzibar for use as yacht.
1918-19: Owned by Government of Zanzibar.

General History:
Gordon Donaldson argued the plan of ST. GILES ‘represented a desire to make additional arrangements for the comfort and convenience of passengers for there was accommodation for them on the upper deck midships […] and on the boat deck aft of the navigating bridge. Yet she does not seem to have been a particularly popular ship, and the only explanation for her sale after only ten years is that she had not been a success’. The Aberdeen Daily Journal, reporting her sale in 1912, stated that a replacement had been ordered which would be much larger and faster, suggesting she could not cope with the increasing tourist traffic and was unable to maintain the schedule.

Her timetable for 1905 on the ‘direct route’ was from Aberdeen to Lerwick Monday and Thursday 11.30am (or as soon as tide permits) and Lerwick to Aberdeen Tuesday 8pm and Saturday 6pm (or as soon as mails ready). This was her employment from 1903 till early 1911 summer and winter. In July 1911 she took the place of ST. NINIAN on the ‘indirect route’ Leith-Aberdeen-Stromness-Lerwick. She was on this service again in December 1911 and January 1912. In Summer 1912 the usual ‘direct route’ sailings were advertised, but with ST. SUNNIVA sharing them with ST. GILES (presumably to increase capacity).

ST. GILES carried large numbers of fishing girls to Shetland for the beginning of the herring fishing season in June and back in August, e.g. 250-300 on a Thursday sailing from Aberdeen in June 1905. The Banffshire Advertiser reported that most were recruited in Aberdeen, although a number were from Peterhead and Fraserburgh. There must have been significant numbers from Fraserburgh as special calls were made here on their return at the end of the season. (200, including fish curers, in August 1903 and 100 in August 1905). Livestock traffic was particularly heavy in early Autumn- e.g. September 1910 about 1000 sheep South from Shetland on one voyage.

When ST. GILES was brand new she went ashore near Burravoe (at the South end of Yell, Shetland) in August 1903, but was refloated at high tide apparently undamaged. Much more seriously, in the early morning of 28 October 1904, commanded by Capt. Scott, she went ashore in dense fog on the island of Mousa, Shetland, when approaching Lerwick from Aberdeen. She was floated off by the rising tide, but her hull was so seriously damaged below the engine room and stokehold that she had to be beached at Sandsair. There was said to be no panic, and in the early afternoon the North Isles vessel EARL OF ZETLAND transported the 40-50 passengers, mails and livestock to Lerwick. ST. GILES did not return to service after repair, Capt. Scott master, until early December1904.

After the 1912 season ST. GILES was sold through London shipbrokers to owners in Zanzibar. She left Leith for London on 11 October 1912.

SOURCES-Gordon Donaldson (1978), 'Northwards by Sea' (Paul Harris Publishing, Edinburgh), p.126; Orcadian, 15/08/1903, 29/10/1904, 03/12/1904, 08/07/1911, 27/01/1912; Orkney Herald, 11/09/1912; Shetland Times 08/08/1903, 23/09/1905, 10 and 24/09/1910; Banffshire Advertiser, 22/06/1905; Aberdeen Daily Journal, 12/10/1912; Scotsman, 01/12/1911; Peterhead Sentinel, 19/08/1905. [All newspaper extracts accessed from British Newspaper Archive, https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, 12/5/2022].

Notes:
Triple expansion engines by Hall, Russell, with 17½", 28" and 47" diameter cylinders, 33" stroke. Boiler 160 lb. pressure. 164 NHP.