Another of my Grandad's photographs, this time of the SS Freeman Hatch on which he served as an Able Bodied Seaman from 5 January 1950 to 26 March 1950.
Joining the ship at Salford he eventually left the ship at Cardiff before making his way back to Manchester and joining the Manchester Trader.
Completed in December 1942 in the USA by Leatham D.Smith Ship Building of Sturgeon Bay (Yard No.271) she had a GRT of 1793, length of 78.9m, beam of 12.8m and a single screw delivering 10.5 Knots.
One of 36 Type N3-S-A1 vessels delivered to Britain from December 1942 to May 1945 her official number was 168494.
Subsequently re-named Charles M in 1950 and Houston in 1953 she was bombed and sunk by the Cuban Air Force in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba on 18 April 1961, being one of four cargo ships carrying about 1,400 Cuban exile ground troops of Brigade 2506.
She was presumably named after the Clipper Captain Freeman Hatch (1820 - 1889) from Eastham, Massachusetts USA who was the captain of the Clipper ship Northern Light.
In February 1853 Northern Light and two other Clippers the 'Contest' and 'Trade Wind', were preparing to sail from San Francisco to New England at the same time. A bet was made and a race ensued from San Francisco to Boston. Hatch took Northern Light out of San Francisco on 13 March 1853 and 38 days later he had rounded Cape Horn, by day 52 he was off Rio de Janeiro reaching Boston in the record time of 76 days. The best days run being some 355 miles. Hatch's rivals arrived at 80 days and 84 days respectively. As far as I am aware this record may still stand for a sailing vessel between San Francisco and Boston via Cape Horn.
Having read numerous accounts of the 'race' (many with conflicting information so apologies if the above account is not quite right) I decided to do some research on the Clipper Northern Light.
(This research could go on forever I know.....But it is amazing what you can learn), anyway..
Northern Light was a medium clipper ship built in 1851 by E. & H.O. Briggs in South Boston, MA, to the design of a Mr. Samuel H. Pook for James Huckins.
She was just over 171ft long and 36ft wide with a tonnage of 1021. The figurehead is reported as being an angel carrying a torch with a golden flame in an outstreched arm.
In 1854 she was sold at auction for $60.000 to a Captain Doane.
On Christmas Day 1861 she left le Harve in ballast under the command of a Captain Lovell bound for New York but on 2 January 1862 collided with and sank the French brig Nouveau St. Jacques. The crew of the French brig boarded the Northern Light but due to the damages received in the collision the Light also had to be abandoned and sank. The two ships crews were picked up by the ships 'Norma' and the the 'Bremerhaven' and were landed at Falmouth and Cowes.
Joining the ship at Salford he eventually left the ship at Cardiff before making his way back to Manchester and joining the Manchester Trader.
Completed in December 1942 in the USA by Leatham D.Smith Ship Building of Sturgeon Bay (Yard No.271) she had a GRT of 1793, length of 78.9m, beam of 12.8m and a single screw delivering 10.5 Knots.
One of 36 Type N3-S-A1 vessels delivered to Britain from December 1942 to May 1945 her official number was 168494.
Subsequently re-named Charles M in 1950 and Houston in 1953 she was bombed and sunk by the Cuban Air Force in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba on 18 April 1961, being one of four cargo ships carrying about 1,400 Cuban exile ground troops of Brigade 2506.
She was presumably named after the Clipper Captain Freeman Hatch (1820 - 1889) from Eastham, Massachusetts USA who was the captain of the Clipper ship Northern Light.
In February 1853 Northern Light and two other Clippers the 'Contest' and 'Trade Wind', were preparing to sail from San Francisco to New England at the same time. A bet was made and a race ensued from San Francisco to Boston. Hatch took Northern Light out of San Francisco on 13 March 1853 and 38 days later he had rounded Cape Horn, by day 52 he was off Rio de Janeiro reaching Boston in the record time of 76 days. The best days run being some 355 miles. Hatch's rivals arrived at 80 days and 84 days respectively. As far as I am aware this record may still stand for a sailing vessel between San Francisco and Boston via Cape Horn.
Having read numerous accounts of the 'race' (many with conflicting information so apologies if the above account is not quite right) I decided to do some research on the Clipper Northern Light.
(This research could go on forever I know.....But it is amazing what you can learn), anyway..
Northern Light was a medium clipper ship built in 1851 by E. & H.O. Briggs in South Boston, MA, to the design of a Mr. Samuel H. Pook for James Huckins.
She was just over 171ft long and 36ft wide with a tonnage of 1021. The figurehead is reported as being an angel carrying a torch with a golden flame in an outstreched arm.
In 1854 she was sold at auction for $60.000 to a Captain Doane.
On Christmas Day 1861 she left le Harve in ballast under the command of a Captain Lovell bound for New York but on 2 January 1862 collided with and sank the French brig Nouveau St. Jacques. The crew of the French brig boarded the Northern Light but due to the damages received in the collision the Light also had to be abandoned and sank. The two ships crews were picked up by the ships 'Norma' and the the 'Bremerhaven' and were landed at Falmouth and Cowes.
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