page_title: SS Mona's Isle (1830)
section_title: Service Life
hierarchical_section_title: SS Mona's Isle (1830) / Service Life
caption_attribution_description: English: The Mona's Isle
context_page_description: SS Mona's Isle (I) was the first vessel ordered for service with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company when it began its operation in 1830. No Official number is recorded for the vessel, as formal registration was not introduced until the Merchant Shipping Act 1854.
context_section_description: Unlike previous ships which served the Isle of Man, Mona's Isle was not constructed primarily to carry cargo, and was very well appointed for the carriage of passengers.
  Under the command of Capt. William Gill, Mona's Isle entered service with the Company upon her completion in 1830, and quickly established the Manx company's superiority over the rival St George Company, whose ships Prince Llewelyn and St David were much despised by the Manx public.
  The Mona's Isle, as opposed to the St. George Company's ships, had been designed to shelter passengers, and had spacious and comfortable cabins.
  Mona's Isle arrived in Douglas on Saturday 14 August 1830, and was christened by Mrs. J. C. Crellin.
  Her arrival was celebrated by the Manks Advertiser in which she was described thus:-
  "As beautiful a vessel as ever appeared in this part. Her accommodations are, if possible, more than equal to her appearance."
  — Manks Advertiser. Monday 16 August 1830.
  A Greenock newspaper of the day was slightly less complimentary, merely describing her as:-
  "A superior steam vessel propelled by two engines of superior power."
  — The Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Limited. 1830 - 1904. By A. W. MOORE, C.V.O., M.A. (1904, p15).
  Mona's Isle was used for a variety of work. Her first trip was to the Menai Bridge on 15 August; a week later she ran an excursion to Bangor, North Wales; advertised as:-
  " The Mona's Isle will sail with passengers at 9 a.m. returning the following day at 2 p.m. Fare £1 return."
  — Manks Advertiser. Friday 20 August 1830.
  The major task of Mona's Isle however, was to open the Liverpool - Douglas service for the Steam Packet Company, and to beat the opposition. On Monday 16 August Mona's Isle sailed for Liverpool. The Sophia Jane under the command of Lieutenant Tudor, R.N., sailed at the same time and reached Liverpool one and a half minutes ahead.
  On Wednesday 18 August a similar race took place back to Douglas with a similar result. But on Friday 20 August, returning from Liverpool, Mona's Isle came in 40 minutes ahead. The pattern was established and Sophia Jane was regularly beaten, on one occasion in a gale, by over three hours.
  The early defeats were probably caused by the fact that Mona's Isle's new engine took time to run in and full speed was not attainable at first. Mona's Isle, however, had proved herself capable of travelling between Liverpool and Douglas in eight hours at a speed of  8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph).
  The St. George Company engaged in a price-cutting war, and in September withdrew the Sophia Jane and replaced her with their largest and fastest steamer, the St. George. However, Mona's Isle won the first race largely because of the astuteness of Capt. Gill.
  Seeing a south-westerly gale developing, he had the coal and cargo moved to the windward side of the vessel, to prevent the windward paddle lifting out of the water.
  By October 1830, Mona's Isle had established herself as the principal steamer between Liverpool and Douglas.
  A letter to the Editor of the Liverpool Mercury stated:-
  "Your impartiality in giving insertion to correct communications has induced me to forward you a few particulars respecting the interesting opposition at present existing in steam navigation with the Isle of Man. The triumphant result of the competition between the Mona's Isle and the Sophia Jane is pretty well known and needs no remark, which induced the St. George Company to try their last resource by placing the St. George on the station, confident that (although the Sophia Jane was beaten) the St. George could not share a similar fate.On Wednesday last the Mona's Isle and the St. George were opposed to each other in their passage from this port, and the Mona's Isle performed the distance in a shorter time, but it was on Friday that their safety was put to the test. On that day they left here together, about 11 o'clock a.m., the wind blowing right ahead and approaching to a storm, which continued to increase during the day. At 4 p.m. the hull and smoke of the St. George were left out of sight. The Mona's Isle arrived in Doug
caption: Sketch depiction of Mona's Isle (artist unknown).
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