The 'William McCann'

This gaff ketch rigged fishing smack was launched on 22nd April 1884 at the Garrison Side yard of William McCann shipbuilders at Hull for the "City" fleet of Messrs.Simpson & Bowman of Hull, as one of a class of 10 long line sailing trawlers, all named after cities, in this case, the 'City of Edinboro'.

These vessels typically worked the Dogger Bank and other associated North Sea fishery areas for cod. Their daily catch was always transferred to a fast steamer, which allowed them to stay at sea for weeks. It was gruelling work!

In 1897, she was sold on to an Icelandic fish merchant in Reykjavik and renamed 'Frida', and fished regularly in Icelandic and Greenland waters until 1913. From then on, until 1967, the vessel worked under three successive Faroese owners, fishing in the same North Atlantic waters and sporting the respective names of 'Solvaborg', 'Solvasker' and 'Sjoborgin'. 

In 1980, she was discovered by Henry Irving in the Faroes and brought back to Hull for rebuilding and restoration to her original rig for use as a charter yacht, with 20 berths for passengers. Following the completion of her major restoration work, the vessel was renamed the 'William McCann' after her builder.

In 1984, her centenary year, she started charter work around north western Europe, which continued until 1992 when she went aground on the Brittany Coast and broke her keel, after which she returned to Hartlepool.

Unfortunately, by 1997, her condition had seriously deteriorated, resulting in her sinking at her moorings in Grimsby. A bid to the National Heritage Fund for her potential restoration was also unsuccessful.

In 2000, The Excelsior Trust had bought her for £1, after which she was towed to Lowestoft, and hauled out of the water onto a covered slipway. Reportedly, she was still there in 2019, laid up while a new project champion was being sought.

During her visit to the East Pier at Wicklow Port during the late 1980s, the 'William McCann' was an impressive sailing vessel in remarkable condition, considering that she was over 100 years old back then! Having taken the hint from her owner's friends aboard the smaller sailing vessel, the 'Rosa & Ada', to visit Wicklow together, I had to keep my promise and paint a mural of the 'William McCann' ship onto the pier wall. The owners and crew were so impressed by my efforts, they were delighted that they had called in!

My experience of the race between the two sailing vessels following their joint departure for Arklow, as descrbed in my mural for the 'Rosa & Ada', will never be forgotten!