Blue Jacket

(Owner: P. Kavanagh)

Departed St. John’s, Newfoundland 12 March 1912 with a capacity 86 ton cargo of codfish for Oporto, Portugal. Encountering high winds, heavy seas and ice, she had to put into another Newfoundland port for several days. Departing the second port, the schooner again encountered storm conditions and heavy ice.

By 26 March when Blue Jacket was at 43 degrees 12” N, 45 degrees 14”W, she was stopped and became completely surrounded by ice, which stove in her hull. Despite the cargo being jettisoned, her pumps could not handle the incoming water and for the next five days the vessel was in danger of sinking.

Late in the afternoon of 1 April the British steamer Samara, westbound from Cardiff to Philadelphia, appeared on the scene and with great difficulty removed Blue Jacket’s captain and five-man crew. As he left his foundering vessel, Blue Jacket’s captain set it afire to prevent it from becoming a navigational hazard. The crew was taken to Lewes, Delaware where they were put ashore.

Port of registry: Caernarvon, Wales
Flag of registry: British
Signal letters Q B T M
Wood hull, 2 masts, schooner rig, one deck, partly iron-bound
Tonnages: gross-100 net- 81
Dimensions: length-79.5 ft. width- 20.9 ft. depth – 10.9

July 1860 Built and engined by Jones, Aberystwth ,Wales

Remainder of vessel history to be ascertained.

© 2005 John P. Eaton all rights reserved.
This item first appeared in Voyage, Journal of the Titanic International Society.