SS (RMS) ''Snaefell'' (I) – the first ship in the Company's history to bear the name – was an iron

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

that served with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company until she was sold in 1875.

Construction and dimensions

''Snaefell'' was the first of three similar vessels to be built for the Company by Caird & Co. of

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

. Costing £22,000, she entered service in 1863. Length 236'; beam 26'; depth 14'. ''Snaefell'' had a registered tonnage of . All three sisters – ''Snaefell'', ''Douglas'' and ''Tynwald'' were driven by two-cylinder oscillating engines with in the case of ''Snaefell'', a nominal horsepower of 240, producing an

indicated horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of Power (physics), power, or the rate at which Work (physics), work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two commo ...

of approximately 1,300. ''Snaefell'' was reboilered in 1869 for £3,500 (equivalent to £ in ).

Service life

''Snaefell'' was considered fast for her day, and had a service speed of .Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Fred Henry, 1973) p.64 She reduced the passage time from

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

–

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

to 4hrs 20mins, suggesting a service speed of approximately . On 19 September 1863, ''Snaefell'' collided with the Mersey Flat ''Mary Agnes'' at Liverpool. ''Mary Agnes'' sank with the loss of two lives. Survivors were rescued by . On 20 October 1864, she collided with the

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

''Hibernia'' at Liverpool whilst bound for Douglas. Severely damaged and flooded at the bows, she put back to Liverpool. She ran aground at Liverpool on 22 June 1871, after which her Master, Capt. Corlett tendered his resignation. The Company's shareholders asked the board to reappoint him, but after much discussion the board declined. Capt. Thomas Lewis was given command at a salary of £225 (equivalent to £ in ) a year, reduced to half pay during

lay up A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump s ...

Disposal

After only 12 years with the

Manx Manx (; formerly sometimes spelled Manks) is an adjective (and derived noun) describing things or people related to the Isle of Man: * Manx people **Manx surnames * Isle of Man It may also refer to: Languages * Manx language, also known as Manx ...

fleet, ''Snaefell'' was put up for sale. She was sold to the Royal Netherlands Steamship Company of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

for £15,500 (equivalent to £ in ) in 1875. She was renamed the ''Stad Breda'' and

plied In the textile arts, plying (from the French verb ''plier'', "to fold", from the Latin verb ''plico'', from the ancient Greek verb .) is a process of twisting one or more strings (called strands) of yarn together to create a stronger yarn. Strands ...

between

Sheerness Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town ...

and Flushing. In 1888, she was sold for scrapping.

References

;Bibliography * Chappell, Connery (1980). ''Island Lifeline'' T.Stephenson & Sons Ltd {{DEFAULTSORT:Snaefell (1863) Passenger ships of the United Kingdom Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Steamships 1863 ships Paddle steamers of the United Kingdom Ferries of the Isle of Man Steamships of the United Kingdom Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Maritime incidents in October 1864 Maritime incidents in June 1871 Ships built on the River Clyde