HMS ''Vivid'' was an iron

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to f ...

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

purchased from civilian service in 1891, where she had been named SS ''Capercailzie''. She became the Devonport base ship and flagship in 1893 and was also used as the yacht for the

Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Between 1845 and 1896, this offic ...

and was sold in 1912, later being wrecked in 1913.

Early civilian service

SS ''Capercailzie'' was built by Barclay, Curl, and Co. in 1883 on the

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

. She was owned by

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

, a shipping company owner, who sold her to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

in 1891.

Military service

On 26 September 1891, SS ''Capercailzie'' was purchased by the Royal Navy and renamed SS ''Vivid'' for use as tender for the

Devonport naval base Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and has been in use as a navy base since 1841. The ba ...

, Plymouth and as a yacht for the port admiral. She was later designated flagship for the Commodore-in-Command of the Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport. Staff Commander W. Way was in command in early 1900. Captain

Sir Richard Poore, 4th Baronet Admiral Sir Richard Poore, 4th Baronet (7 July 1853 – 8 December 1930) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Naval career Poore served in the Naval Brigade as part of the Perak expedition to Malaya in 1875 ...

was appointed

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...

for command of the RN Barracks on 9 March 1900, succeeded by Captain Harry Seawell Niblett in December 1902.

Later Civilian Service

In 1912, she was sold to the

Royal Technical College, Glasgow The Royal College of Science and Technology was a higher education college that existed in Glasgow, Scotland between 1887 and 1964, and is the predecessor institution of the University of Strathclyde. Its main building on George Street now serve ...

for use as a

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

. The purchase was a major investment for the college, spending an estimated £3000 on the ship and refit. On 8 July 1913 she ran aground and was wrecked at

Colonsay Colonsay (; gd, Colbhasa; sco, Colonsay) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, located north of Islay and south of Mull. The ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeil, it is in the council area of Argy ...

en route from Rhu (at the time spelt ‘Row’) to Stornoway on her first voyage as a civilian training ship.

References

External links

HMS Vivid (1891) on Wreck Site

SS Capercailzie on the Clyde-built ships database

The loss of the ''Vivid'' – The biography of a shipwreck
Detailed article describing the history behind the purchase of HMS ''Vivid'' as a training ship by the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, her wreck and aftermath {{DEFAULTSORT:Vivid, HMS Ships built on the River Clyde 1883 ships Maritime incidents in 1913 Steam yachts Ships of the Royal Navy Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean