page_title: SS Fenella (1881)
section_title: Service life
hierarchical_section_title: SS Fenella (1881) / Service life
caption_attribution_description: English: Fenella.
context_page_description: SS Fenella (I), No.76303, was an Iron twin-screw steamer operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and was the first ship in the company's history to bear the name.
context_section_description: Fenella served with the Steam Packet fleet for 48 years, including serving the Island during the First World War. At least one mercantile authority considers that from a steamship development viewpoint, the Fenella was the most interesting vessel built for the company since the first vessel, Mona's Isle, in 1830.
  Her work demonstrated that high steam pressure with compound engines, having a higher piston speed than would have been practical in a paddle steamer, gave her greater economy in performance.
  Amongst Fenella’s first operational duties, was a special excursion to the River Clyde, departing Douglas for Greenock on Thursday 14 July. As well as this, the Fenella, along with her sister Tynwald, was employed in a series of round-the-island summer cruises.
  On Tuesday 16 August 1881 the steamer Princess Royal broke down to the northeast of the Isle of Man whilst making passage between Liverpool and Glasgow. She was taken under tow to Ramsey Bay, and eventually her passengers and luggage were transferred to the Fenella, which was en route form Douglas to Glasgow.
  Fenella’s introduction into winter service proved popular with passengers as she established her reputation as a fine and reliable sea boat.
  On Tuesday 7 November 1882, the Fenella recorded the fastest time for passage between Whitehaven and Ramsey, sailing from pier to pier in a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes.
  A mixture of easterly storms in the Irish sea, which hampered operations from Ramsey, combined with fog in the River Mersey during early January 1883, resulted in severe disruption. The Fenella departed Ramsey at 09:00 hrs on the morning of Saturday 7 January, arriving alongside the Prince’s Landing Stage at 13:00 hrs the following day, resulting in a time of 28 hours at sea.
  On Friday 19 January 1883, the Fenella took the Mona’s Isle under tow to Barrow in order for her to undergo her rebuild. Following her conversion, Mona’s Isle rejoined the fleet under her new name, Ellan Vannin.
  Fenella was overhauled in 1894 and a full electric light system fitted—56 lights in all. The installation was carried out by J. W. Holmes of Liverpool, who also installed electric lighting in Fenella's younger sister  Peveril, at the same time. The cost of the work for the two vessels was £505.
  Primarily a cargo ship, intended to do passenger runs as a relief service in winter, it could possibly be claimed that she worked harder than any other of the company's ships in her day. She served on every route the Steam Packet Company then operated, including the Peel – Belfast run, one of a number no longer operated. Fenella also operated numerous sailings to the Isle of Man from Whitehaven.
  On one occasion she made six round trips between Douglas and Liverpool and then took troops to Kingstown, all in three days.
  On Saturday 6 June 1896, a new lifeboat was acquired by Douglas, replacing the previous one which had been destroyed in Douglas Harbour during a south-easterly gale on the night of Saturday 12 January 1895.
  The new lifeboat shared the same name as the previous one: Civil Service, No. 6. 
  Built by Messers Rutherford of Birkenhead, she was towed across to the Isle of Man by the Fenella.
caption: Fenella.
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