SS Vera
(Roy Thornton Collection)
Steel twin screw turbine vessel, built in 1898 by Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Company (Yard No. 330) as a mail/passenger ship.
Technical Data
- Length: 82.3m (overall) 85.57m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 10.7m
- Depth: 4.42m
- Draught: m
- Tonnage: 1136 (1898), 1178 (1903), 1178 (1914), 1088 (1914), 1063 (1932) gross/227 (1898), 256 (1903), (altered to 253 1904), 487 (1914) 447 (1914), 424 (1932) net
- Engines: 2 x 4-cylinder triple expansion 19 ½ “ – 31 ½ ”, 36 ½ ”, 36 ½ ” – 30”
- Power: kW/229 nhp
- Speed: 18.0 knots
- Capacity: 980 – 1474 passengers
- Call Sign: QKTR
- ID Number: 73956 (LR 1933)
- Official Number: 109288 (LR 1912)
- Port of Registry: Southampton/UK 🇬🇧
- Sister-ships: Alberta (223/761)
History
1898: Built to replace the DORA as relief vessel for both the Le Havre and Channel Islands routes.
July 4th 1898: Launched for London & South Western Railway Company at a cost of £54,320.
September 1898: Completed
September 27th 1898: Maiden voyage to the Channel Islands, served as a spare ship on all the main routes.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1899: Replaced the lost STELLA until the ALBERTA arrived in mid-1900.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1901: Minor collision with SIMLA in Southampton Water
1902 (summer): Worked the St Malo route.
1903: Alterations made including a smoke room was built aft on the boat deck and the bridge was moved up one deck. Force draught was also removed.
1910: Further alterations were made in that the forward end of the promenade deck was plated in, a poop was added aft with two lifeboats on it and forced draught was re-introduced.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
February 14th 1910: Sea trials reaching a speed of 18.275 knots.
1914 – 1918: Remained in company service during which she sank a U-boat by gunfire.
1915: Loaned to Great Western Region to relieve the IBEX at Weymouth and Channel Islands route.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
April 5th 1920: Left the Channel Islands for Birkenhead.
April 1920: Overhauled, modernised and re-boilered.
November 20th 1920: Returned to Channel Islands.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
January 1st 1923: Transferred to Southern Region ownership.
1924: The forward end of the deck was plated in as far as the bridge; three port holes.
March 10th 1930: Made her last regular mail vessel sailing, thereafter, acting as an extra vessel.
March 1926: Short spell on the Great Western Railway Weymouth – Channel Islands route.
June 1932: As a stopgap while BRITTANY was building, she initiated a summer service Jersey – Granville and Jersey – St Malo. The smoke room on the promenade deck was removed to give more deck space.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
June 17th 1933: BRITTANY replaced her.
June 19th 1933: Returned to Southampton and laid-up.
October 28th 1933: Left Southampton after towed by tug SEAMAN her sale for £2,490 to Thomas Ward. Bound for Pembroke.
December 1933: Broken up.
All information is believed to be correct, and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
