RV Onaway

Last updated

RV Onaway 1930-1960.jpeg
RV Onaway
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameRV Onaway (LT358)
Owner
Operator
BuilderWalter Reekie, Anstruther, Scotland
Launched1928
Commissioned1930
In service1930-1960
Homeport Lowestoft
FateUnknown
General characteristics
Type
Tonnage26.73 long tons (27 t)
Length53 ft 2 in (16.2 m)
Beam16 ft 4 in (5.0 m)
Draught6 ft 10 in (2.1 m)
PropulsionNorris, Henty and Gardner semi-diesel, 47 BHP. 450 RPM

RV Onaway (LT358) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom) - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1930 and 1960. She was briefly requisitioned by the Admiralty, to serve as a Boom Defence Tender during World War II (between 1939 and 1945), but returned to Ministry service in 1946. [1] In 1960 the RV Onaway was replaced by the RV Tellina .

Contents

Construction

In 1928 large crowds witnessed the launch of the motor fishing bauldie Onaway from the boatbuilding yard of Walter Reekie, Anstruther, Scotland. She was built to the order of Mr William, W Carstairs of Cellardyke and was a sister ship of the Winaway, a 53 ft long steam drifter. Onaway was fitted with a 48 hp semi-diesel engine and special design of steam boiler and capstan. Miss Jessie Watson of Cellardyke, sister of the skipper performed the christening ceremony. [2]

Service as a fisheries research vessel

In 1930 Onaway was purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom). [1]

The RV Onaway (LT358) was in service with MAFF from December 1930 until March 1960, during which time she participated in 209 separate research campaigns. During the 1930s she was largely confined to inshore coastal waters of the southern North Sea including East Anglia, the Thames estuary, southern bight and Straits of Dover. Most of her early efforts were dedicated to the surveying of herring and sprat, but also plankton sampling and characterizing hydrology. [3]

After World War II, RV Onaway ventured further afield with regular sampling voyages to Cornwall and throughout the English Channel (Sussex to South Cornwall) focused on pilchard/sardine investigations, although continuing to participate in surveys of North Sea herring and sprat. In the 1950s she was used as a platform for large-scale tagging programmes targeting North Sea sole, crab, rays, herring and whiting. Between 1952 and 1959 she conducted annual surveys to characterize scallop populations in the English Channel. In March 1959 the RV Onaway was used to carry out surveys of colliery waste dumping sites off the northeast coast of England. [3]

Service during World War II

In 1939 the RV Onaway was requisitioned by the Admiralty, to serve as a Boom Defence Tender. The primary function of a Boom Defence Vessel was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid around an individual ship at anchor, or around harbors or other anchorages. In January 1942 Onaway was listed among many similar Boom Defence Vessels allocated to the Scapa Flow Auxiliary Patrol (Orkney). Specifically, Onaway is listed as being "at Macduff (Aberdeenshire) refitting - to complete 14 Jan”. [4]

Following return from Admiralty service in 1946, the RV Onaway was immediately lengthened by 10 ft. and her engine changed from a 40 hp semi-diesel to a 120 hp diesel, with the result that her speed was increased from 5 to 9.5 knots. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It carries out a wide range of research, advisory, consultancy, monitoring and training activities for a large number of customers around the world.

<i>Reaper</i> (sailing vessel)

Reaper is a restored historic Fifie herring drifter which is registered by the National Historic Ships Committee as part of the National Historic Fleet of the UK, and currently operates as a museum ship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam yacht</span>

A steam yacht is a class of luxury or commercial yacht with primary or secondary steam propulsion in addition to the sails usually carried by yachts.

RV <i>Corystes</i>

RV Corystes is an ocean-going, research vessel operating around Northern Ireland. She is equipped with specialist fishing gear and acoustic techniques for surveys of fish stocks.

RV <i>Cefas Endeavour</i>

RV Cefas Endeavour is an ocean-going fisheries research vessel based at the port of Lowestoft and owned by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in Denmark</span>

The fishing industry in Denmark operates around the coastline, from western Jutland to Bornholm. While the overall contribution of the fisheries sector to the country's economy is only about 0.5 percent, Denmark is ranked fifth in the world in exports of fish and fish products. Approximately 20,000 Danish people are employed in fishing, aquaculture, and related industries.

RV <i>Cirolana</i>

RV Cirolana was a fisheries research vessel used by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and originally built for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. She was initially intended to replace the RV Ernest Holt operating in arctic waters around Bear Island (Norway) and Iceland, but following the Cod Wars spent most of her working life conducting fisheries surveys in the North Sea, Irish Sea and English Channel. For the first part of her career RV Cirolana was based in the fishing port of Grimsby, but after bridge and channel dredging work improved the depth, it was deemed acceptable to bring her to Lowestoft.

RV <i>Huxley</i>

RV Huxley was the first research vessel used by the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom explicitly for fisheries research and is regarded as the first vessel yielding data for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

RV <i>Sir Lancelot</i>

RV Sir Lancelot (LT263) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

RV <i>Ernest Holt</i>

RV Ernest Holt (GY591) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Thursby-Pelham</span> British scientist and scientific illustrator

Dorothy Elizabeth Thursby-Pelham (1884–1972) was a scientist at the Zoological Laboratory, University of Cambridge and subsequently at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries laboratory in Lowestoft who has been called 'England's first female sea-going fisheries scientist' and was an active member of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

RV <i>George Bligh</i> Fisheries research vessel

RV George Bligh (LO309) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

RV <i>Corella</i>

RV Corella (LT767) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1967 and 1983.

RV <i>Clione</i>

RV Clione (LT421) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1961 and 1988.

RV <i>Platessa</i>

RV Platessa (LT205) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1946 and 1967.

SS <i>Joseph & Sarah Miles</i>

SS Joseph & Sarah Miles (LO175) was a ‘mission ship’, constructed for the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen and operated from 1902 until 1930. She acted as a hospital ship during the Dogger Bank incident on the night of 21/22 October 1904, when the Russian Baltic Fleet mistook a British trawler fleet for the Imperial Japanese Navy and fired on them in the North Sea.

RV <i>Tellina</i> British fisheries research vessel

RV Tellina (LT242) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1960 and 1981.

The SY Hildegarde and the SY Hiawatha were steam yachts chartered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1912 and 1914 to carry out fishery investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Graham (scientist)</span> British fisheries scientist (b. 1898, d. 1972)

Michael Graham (1898–1972) CMG OBE was a British fisheries scientist, author, and ecologist. He was the director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food fisheries laboratory in Lowestoft (1945–1958), now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). His classic book, The Fish Gate, published in 1943, paints a picture of the near-collapse of the British fishing industry through overfishing that occurred before both the First and the Second World Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckland Foundation</span>

Francis Trevelyan Buckland, better known as Frank Buckland, was an English surgeon, zoologist, natural historian, prolific writer, campaigner against river pollution, and researcher on fish-culture and fish farming.

References

  1. 1 2 3 MAFF (1992). The Directorate of Fisheries Research: Its Origins and Development. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Lowestoft. 332pp.
  2. ↑ Cellardyke News from Times Past by Richard Wemyss http://www.anstruther.info/category/community-news/page/16/
  3. 1 2 Goodwin, N.B., Dare, P.J., Belson, S.J., Gunstone, K.L., Ellis, J.R., Rogers, S.I. (2001) A catalogue of DEFRA historical research vessel data. Sci. Ser. Tech Rep., Cefas Lowestoft, 112, 32pp. http://www.cefas.co.uk/publications/techrep/tech112.pdf
  4. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, January 1942 (Part 1 of 4). https://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4201-40RNShips1Home.htm. Retrieved 13 June 2018
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.