HMS Vivid was an iron screw yacht purchased from civilian service in 1891, where she had been named SS Capercailzie. She became the Devonport base ship and flagship in 1893 and was also used as the yacht for the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth and was sold in 1912, later being wrecked in 1913.
| History | |
|---|---|
  United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Vivid |
| Namesake | Capercailzie |
| Builder | Barclay, Curl, and Co., Glasgow |
| Yard number | 321 |
| Way number | 87699 |
| Launched | 20 June 1883 |
| Completed | 1883 |
| Acquired | 1891 |
| In service | 1891-1913 |
| Renamed |
|
| Fate | Wrecked on 8 July 1913 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 550 tons |
| Length | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Installed power | 450 hp |
| Propulsion | 1 x 2-cylinder compound engine, single shaft, 1 screw, 2 masts |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Notes | [1][2][3] |
Early civilian service
editSS Capercailzie was built by Barclay, Curl, and Co. in 1883 on the Clyde.[1][2][3] She was owned by George Burns, a shipping company owner, who sold her to the Royal Navy in 1891.[2][3]
Military service
editOn 26 September 1891, SS Capercailzie was purchased by the Royal Navy and renamed SS Vivid for use as tender for the Devonport naval base, Plymouth and as a yacht for the port admiral.[1][4][5] She was later designated flagship for the Commodore-in-Command of the Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport. Staff Commander W. Way was in command in early 1900.[6]
Captain Sir Richard Poore, 4th Baronet was appointed flag captain for command of the RN Barracks on 9 March 1900,[7] succeeded by Captain Harry Seawell Niblett in December 1902.[8]
Later Civilian Service
editIn 1912, she was sold to the Royal Technical College, Glasgow for use as a training ship. The purchase was a major investment for the college, spending an estimated £3000 on the ship and refit.[3] On 8 July 1913 she ran aground and was wrecked at Colonsay en route from Rhu (at the time spelt ‘Row’) to Stornoway on her first voyage as a civilian training ship.[4][3][9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c "HMS Vivid". Index of 19th Century Naval Vessels and a few of their movements. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "SS Vivid". Wrecksite. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Pritchard, David (17 September 2013), The loss of the Vivid – The biography of a shipwreck (PDF), pp. 1–36
- ^ a b "Capercailzie". Clyde-built ships database. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Moseley, Brian (4 February 2011). "Royal naval barracks "HMS Vivid" / "HMS Drake"". Plymouth Data – The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36057. London. 5 February 1900. p. 11.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36060. London. 8 February 1900. p. 10.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36923. London. 12 November 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Glasgow Training Ship Ashore at Colonsay. Safety of Cadets". Glasgow Herald. Glasgow. 9 July 1913. p. 9.
- ^ "Vivid:Colonsay, Atlantic". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
External links
edit- HMS Vivid (1891) on Wreck Site
- SS Capercailzie on the Clyde-built ships database
- The loss of the Vivid – The biography of a shipwreck Detailed article describing the history behind the purchase of HMS Vivid as a training ship by the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, her wreck and aftermath