Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - The Lloyd's Register at Penarth Dock . . .

m.v. 'Ron Woolaway'

'Ron Woolaway' - 'On 18 June 1960, the 'Ron Woolaway', of Barnstaple, only in service for one week, capsized near Flat Holm. The crew of seven swam ashore at Flat Holm and were taken to Barry by the lifeboat. A sister ship, the 'Stan Woolaway', connected a hawser to the upturned dredger and later Cardiff tugs towed her to Penarth where she was eventually uprighted and repaired.' [854]

The sand-dredger 'Ron Woolaway'. She was originally built as a coastal vessel and then converted into a suction dredger. The conversion was badly engineered and she was found to be unstable at sea. Consequently, she capsized during her first week of service off Flat Holm. As recorded above, she was righted and towed to Penarth Dock where she was fitted with stabilising sponsons (otherwise known as stability blisters) at the Penarth Pontoon and Slipway Company. I recall seeing her on the pontoon under repair and sneaking though the entrance gate to ask the workmen about her before being told to 'bugger off' by the pontoon foreman, yet again! Many thanks to Andy Gilbert for the article and memory jerker and Mr. E. Cole for the photograph of her moored at the West Quay at Newhaven. [873]

A Board of Trade inquiry was held and the records are held at The National Archives. [142] 'MV Ron Woolaway O.N.184202, sand suction dredger: lost near Flat Holm, Bristol Channel 18 June 1960' complete with plan is available under reference BT 239/104.

The sand dredger 'Ron Wollaway' of Barnstable under tow to Cardiff prior to her repair at Penarth Dock.

The sand dredger 'Ron Woolaway' of Barnstable under tow to Cardiff prior to her repair at Penarth Dock. She was in use as a sand dredger for only two years until 1962. She had been originally built as the motor vessel 'Selskar' during 1958 at the yard of Schpsw Kramer & Booy of Sparnham, Holland. she had a gross register tonnage of 478 and was 165 feet in length by 26.7 ft. beam. The vessel was built for the Wexford Steamship Company but was never accepted and for a while she was laid up. In 1960 she was purchased by William Woolaway & Sons and converted to a sand dredger with the name change to 'Ron Woolaway'. It was intended that she dredge sand aggregate at the Holm island dredging grounds. She was apparently on anchor at these grounds during dense fog when she capsized without warning. Her crew swam to the safety of Flat Holm and rescued by the Barry Lifeboat. Many thanks to Peter Gosson for the information and photograph from his book 'A Century of Sand Dredging in the Bristol Channel Volume One: The English Coast' [874]

The m.v. 'Selskar' as built in 1958 by Schpsw Kramer & Booy of Sparnham, Holland. A photograph from the Rick Cox collection. [875]