Builders: Caird & Co, Greenock 1876
Propulsion type: Paddle simple oscillating
Owners: Isle of Man Steam Packet Co Ltd
Service dates: 1876 - 1904
Tonnage: Gross 849
Comments:
Snaefell (II) replaced Snaefell (I) which had been sold a year before to a Dutch concern. The new Snaefell was iron built, could carry 780 passengers and was capable of 15 knots. She cost £28250 to build. She was a popular vessel and was chartered on more than one occasion by the Royal Mersey Yacht Club for club activities. In September 1890, following on accidents to 2 of their regular vessels on the Weymouth-Jersey run, the GWR chartered Snaefell for two weeks. This was the very last time paddle propulsion was used on a Channel Isles mail run and in September 1901 she was required to rescue the passengers of Fenella who had stranded on the Mull of Galloway. Her passengers were taken to and landed at Glasgow. She was in rescue action again in September 3 years later, this time to take on Queen Victoria's passengers after the latter ship's paddle wheel had been damaged off Douglas. This was one of her last active duties as she was scrapped in Holland at the end of the 1904 season.
I am grateful to Mike Charman for supplying the above image and to Cyril Perrier for additional information on the steamer's career.