Weymouth, The Jersey Boat 1898

Photo ref: 41127

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The Great Western Railway ordered two fast triple-expansion steamers, costing £55,000 each, from the Naval Construction & Armaments Co, Barrow-in-Furness, for the Weymouth-Jersey summer service. At 1186 grt, 'Roebuck' carried 487 first- and 240 third-class passengers. Her first duty was to carry the GWR directors and guests to the Spithead Naval Review in June 1897, entering revenue-earning service one week later. In January 1905, whilst laid up at Milford for the winter, she caught fire and sank under the weight of hose water in her hull. Raised, she was taken to Barrow for a refit and was back in time for the commencement of the summer service. 'Roebuck' was in trouble again in July 1911 when she ran aground on Kaines Reef, St Brelades. Eventually patched up and refloated, she was heading for St Helier accompanied by the tug 'Em.Z.Sviter' when water started pouring into her. Beached to save her from sinking, she was again patched up and taken to Harland & Wolff, Southampton for repairs. Requisitioned for minesweeping duties during the Great War, she became a casualty in the Orkneys on 13 January 1915, when she parted her moorings during a gale and finished up impaled upon the ram bow of the depot ship HMS 'Imperieuse', sinking in shallow water. Her sister ship, 'Reindeer' (1193 grt), entered service on 3 August 1897, and one month later, whilst entering Weymouth, she succeeded in ramming the Bournemouth & South Coast SPCo's 'Brodick Castle'. Requisitioned for minesweeping duties in October 1914, she was sent to the Mediterranean, where on the night of 6 June 1915, whilst travelling without lights, she rammed and sank the 'Immingham'. After the war she was refitted and returned to service with the GWR, with whom she remained until sold for breaking up in December 1928.