SS St. Sunniva
Encyclopedia
SS St. Sunniva was one of the first purpose built cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s. Converted into a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
in 1908, she operated as the Lerwick
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
mail steamer until 10 April 1930, when she ran aground off Shetland and was a complete loss.
History
SS St. Sunniva was ordered by the North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation CompanyNorth of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company
The North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company, which was more usually known as The North Company, its full name rarely being used, was a British shipping company based in Aberdeen, originally formed in 1875 from a merger of older Scottish shipping companies...
(more commonly referred to as "The North Company") after the success of their earlier cruise vessel, the St. Rognvald. She was ordered from Hall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK-History:Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a Glasgow engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boilers. In 1867 the company built its first ship, the Kwang...
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
for delivery in time for the 1887 season.
Description
The ship was designed to resemble a classic steam yacht in form and carried a small steam launch for landing passengers when necessary.Accommodation
The accommodation comprised 16 x two berth cabins on either side of the main deck, with a further two berth cabin and a twelve berth ladies' cabin on the centreline. A bathroom and three toilets was sited on either side of the main deck with an additional bathroom and two toilets provided for the ladies' cabin. The ladies' cabin was fitted with two washbasins and all the other main deck cabins were fitted with their own washbasin. 8 x four berth cabins were sited aft on the lower deck, each with a washbasin, and forward of the machinery space were 2 x four berth and 4 x six berth cabins with a common bathroom and two washbasins. No toilets were provided on the lower deck.The main saloon could hold 132 people per sitting, with a piano provided for the use of the passengers, while a deckhouse aft of the mainmast held a ladies' lounge and a separate men's smoking room.
Career
The St. Sunniva was a great commercial success as a cruise ship. However, in 1907-1908, the North Company reduced the number of the ship's cruises, and entirely withdrew from the market at the end of August 1908. It was subsequently decided to convert the ship into a ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and to that end the lower deck accommodation was removed and cargo holds created. The main deck accommodation was also completely remodelled and the superstructure was extended.
Following this remodelling, the St. Sunniva entered service as a mail steamer on the Lerwick
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
route, operating a weekly service from Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
and Aberdeen. She remained on this demanding service until 10 April 1930 when, while sailing north in fog, she ran aground on the uninhabited island of Mousa
Mousa
Mousa is a small island in Shetland, Scotland, uninhabited since the nineteenth century. The island is known for the Broch of Mousa, an Iron Age round tower, and is designated as a Special Protection Area for storm-petrel breeding colonies.-Geography:...
, off Shetland. All passengers and crew were rescued but the ship was a complete loss.