SS (RMS) ''Queen of the Isle'' was a paddle steamer which was constructed by Robert Napier & Co. Glasgow. No

Official number Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...

is recorded for the vessel, as formal registration was not introduced until the

Merchant Shipping Act 1854 The Merchant Shipping Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict c. 104) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was passed on 10 August 1854, together with the Merchant Shipping Repeal Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict c. 120), which together repealed several c ...

. Launched on Saturday, 3 May 1834, ''Queen of the Isle'' entered service with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in September of that year. ''Queen of the Isle'' served the Steam Packet for eleven years, until the Company sold her in 1845.

Construction and dimensions

''Queen of the Isle'' was the third vessel to enter service with the line, and the second to be constructed by Robert Napier & Co. ''Queen of the Isle'' was a

carvel built Carvel built or carvel planking is a method of boat building in which hull planks are laid edge to edge and fastened to a robust frame, thereby forming a smooth surface. Traditionally the planks are neither attached to, nor slotted into, each ...

wooden paddle steamer which had a registered tonnage of . Length 128'; beam 21'6"; depth 12'7".

Schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

rigged with a standing bowsprit, her engine developed a nominal horse-power of 140 h.p.; and gave her a design speed of approximately 9

knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot may also refer to: Places * Knot, Nancowry, a village in India Archaeology * Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life. * Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot Arts, entertainme ...

. The ''Queen of the Isle'' was said to be the fastest vessel on the Irish Sea in her day. The launch of the ''Queen of the Isle'' attracted considerable attention from the Scottish press. A report in the ''Glasgow Herald'' in 1834 stated:- Her commencement of service was greeted with excitement on the Isle of Man, the ''Mona's Herald'' stating:-

Service life

''Queen of the Isle'' arrived in

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 ...

on Wednesday, 10 September 1834.Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Fred Henry, 1973) p.9 Captain Gill assumed command, his command of the ''Mona's Isle'' being taken by Captain Edward Quayle and on 11 September she took a party of excursionists on a trip around the Island. Queen of the Isle Advert

1834 also saw the beginning of the daily summer service between

and Liverpool leaving Douglas at 08:00hrs, and Liverpool at 10:00hrs. The winter service was increased to two sailings a week in each direction throughout the winter. On 25 March 1835, under the command of Capt. Quayle, the ''Queen of the Isle'' collided with the steamer ''Irishman'' in the Mersey approaches and, although damaged, towed the ''Irishman'' into Liverpool. On 27 May 1835, in a race between the two vessels, ''Queen of the Isle'' beat the packet ship ''Richmond.'' In 1842 a ''Queen of the Isle'' inaugurated a weekly service between

and Dublin.

Disposal

Before her disposal, ''Queen of the Isle''s engine was taken out and installed in the ''Ben-my-Chree''. ''Queen of the Isle'' was then sold and converted to a full rig sailing ship in 1845. She is reputed to have sailed all over the world, until she was eventually reported lost off the Falkland Islands.

References

;Bibliography * Chappell, Connery (1980). ''Island Lifeline'' T.Stephenson & Sons Ltd

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Queen of the Isle Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company 1834 ships Ferries of the Isle of Man Steamships Steamships of the United Kingdom Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Paddle steamers of the United Kingdom Ships built on the River Clyde Maritime incidents in March 1835 Maritime incidents in 1855 Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean