Belfast Harbour light vessels

When I was researching the many, completely disappeared lighthouses that once adorned Belfast harbour, I was struck by the repeated references to light-vessels operated by the Belfast Harbour Board. We have come to view light-vessels as purpose-built 'floating lighthouses' towed into position to mark the existence of dangerous rocks and sandbanks, those in the UK painted vivid red, those here on the mainland painted black, with the name of the station painted brightly in white letters across the sides.
But, it seems, there were other, more adhoc light-vessels, pressed into service too. The Belfast Harbour Board, whenever a vessel sunk in the harbour, had a habit of leasing a fishing smack from a local boat-owner until the vessel could be raised from the surface and disposed of. In this post, which sadly contains no photographs at all, I detail the various impromptu light-vessels that I came across in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Fishing smack

Unnamed vessel 1858

Thus we have, on 3rd February 1858, a fishing smack of 37 tons, leased from Richard Hull for £3 10s weekly specifically to mark the wreck of the Eyry (also spelled Eyrie) off Cultra. The Eyry was a coal-bearing schooner and had been sunk on 1st January that year. The Harbour Board provided the lamps and oil and the smack was put in place, though it had to run from its moorings in early March due to a broken windlass. "When the weather improved" the Eyry was destroyed where it lay and the smack was removed.

The smack Prosperity 1875

On 5th November 1875, it was reported that "the smack Prosperity" had been seconded into action. She had belonged to a Mr. John Cochrane and was engaged "as a light-vessel."

From the Freeman's Journal

The schooner Active 1876

On 16th February 1876, the Belfast Harbour Board removed the Prosperity from the rig of the St. Mungo and replaced her with the schooner Active, which they had leased from a Mr. J. McVeagh. There is no indication if the owner of the Prosperity simply wanted his boat back or if the Board were cutting costs by leasing a cheaper boat. Or maybe they needed the Prosperity elsewhere. 

On 25th September 1876, the Harbour master reported that "the lightkeeper on board the Active" had told him that the St. Mungo had been blown up by divers. A wreck buoy had been moved to her stern but the Active was still, erm, active at the site. Two months later, the schooner was withdrawn.

The Lightship Trial 1891

After the massive dredging and straightening of the channel into Belfast harbour in 1891, the old lighthouses were made redundant. On 9th July 1891, it was announced that the Lightship Trial had been moored on the site of the Old Seal Channel which, in dense weather and with a dense crew, could be mistaken as the correct approach to the docks. The spot had been previously marked by one of the pile lights. However, it was announced one week later that the Lightship was to be removed.

This is the first example I can find of a boat bearing the title 'Lightship' being employed by the Belfast Harbour Board in the inner harbour. This would seem to indicate that the vessel had been bought, rather than leased, by the Harbour Board.

An inquest on 21st July that year heard testimony from a William Sweeney of 16, Burke Street, regarding a man being found dead on board a yacht in the vicinity. He said that he was one of two men employed by the Harbour Board on the lightship, which was moored about 500 yards beyond the north end of the Twin Islands. His shift finished at sunrise at 4am and he took his boat and went to investigate. When asked why he had not gone sooner, he replied that he had no indication there was anything wrong and, anyway, "It is not my duty to leave the light-ship. I am placed there by the Harbour Commissioners to attend to the light from sunset to sunrise, and I could not leave the ship." He also declared that there were no rockets or signals on board the light-ship, even if he had suspected something was amiss. He added that, had he known there was an emergency, he would have left the ship to save a life.

The following year, Trial was employed as a wreck marker.

Wreck-marking vessel 1894

In February 1894, the Brig Xanthus went down in the harbour and a notice to mariners was issued .

Of course, this vessel could have been the Lightship Trial painted green. Or it might not. If it was leased for the purpose, presumably it would have to be ungreened at the end of service. So it would make more sense if this boat were owned by the Harbour Board.

On the 4th September, the smack was withdrawn when the Xanthus was removed. Sadly, I do not know my smacks from my luggers and so cannot tell if this was the same boat that was stationed at the wreck in February.

Lightship Bertha 1894

Around the time that the Manx Lugger was cosying up to the Xanthus, a Fleetwood ketch, named the Betsy and Sarah, was being refitted as "an auxiliary pilot tender and wreck light vessel." and was being re-named Bertha. Originally built in Hull in 1867, she had moved to Fleetwood in 1888 (proprietor one Lawrence Fish!) before being shunted onto the Belfast Harbour Board.

Unfortunately, I could find no details of any service rendered to her new owners but she was kept in their employ until July 1911, when she was sold to Mr. J.C.W. Rea on behalf of the Bangor (county Down) Committee for Commemorating the Coronation (of George V) for the princely (ha!) sum of £25. Her full history is on the fleetwood-trawlers.info site. 

Anyhow, the Bertha, or the Betsey and Sarah, went out in a blaze of glory. The Belfast Newsletter of Friday 23rd June 1911, describing the celebrations in Bangor, said, "In the evening, there were illuminations and bonfires. Public interest centred in the burning of a ship in the bay and the prospect of such a rare spectacle brought great crowds. The committee had purchased from the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, the lightship Bertha, formerly the Betsy and Sarah of Fleetwood. This vessel was 67 feet in length, 18 feet beam and 12 feet in depth. Her net registered tonnage was 52 with a cargo-carrying capacity of 150 tons. She was fully loaded with materials of a highly-inflammable character. Huge bonfires were also built on Connor's Point and the projecting rocks at Clifton bathing place and Ballyholme were illuminated by a chain of fires round the sweep of the bay. All these were ignited at the same time as the Bertha and the whole formed a magnificent and impressive display. Houses were illuminated at ten o'clock and this added fresh effect to the scene of rejoicing."

You would think that there would be a photo or a drawing of this event but I haven't come across one yet. My enquiries remain unanswered.

Way to go, Betsey...