History of the Irish Sailing Vessel Isallt

This was the second vessel of this name. She probably took her name from the farm ISALLT in Cwm Pennant which was the ancestral home of one of the owners Doctor Robert Roberts of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

She was a classic "Western Ocean Yacht" built by David Williams at Portmadoc in 1909 to replace the first vessel of that name which was run down by SS ATLANTIC in 1908. Her dimensions were 132 GRT, 94.3/23/10.6. Amongst her owners were a surgeon, a solicitor, a quarry manager, a tradesman. William George, brother of David Lloyd George also had 4/64th share in her.

The ISALLT was ably commanded by Captain R. O. Williams throughout the period she was owned at Portmadoc. She was kept busy in the now classic trading routes.. Portmadoc with slates to Germany then salt to Newfoundland and Labrador where salt cod would be loaded for South America or Greece or Italy. Often it would be Gibraltar for orders. At times, up to a dozen Portmadoc ships would be at, arriving or departing Gibraltar. It is easy to imagine the competition between the crews who were fiercely proud of their vessels and many a wager was made on passages.

At the outbreak of the first world war. Captain Roberts telegramed David Lloyd George from Labrador requesting advice on the safety of sailing back to Britain. DLLG advised staying put and several ships wintered there. The following spring the schooner fleet got through anyway. Several Portmadoc ships were interned in Germany for the duration of the war and several were lost to U Boats.

She was sold to Iceland then Boston Lincs in 1918 and continued in the Newfoundland trade for a couple of  years. In 1920 she was sold to Michael Cadogan of Cape Clear, and registered at Skibbereen Eire. She spent the 1920s and 30's mostly in the Irish Sea trade, carrying coal to Southern Irish ports. In 1923 an engine was installed.

According to Richard Scott in an article in Sea Breezes in 1948, she was the last Portmadoc ship to load salt cod in Newfoundland in 1930. In 1934 she sprang a leak during a gale while on passage from Birkinhead to Skibereen. The crew were taken off by the Moelfre lifeboat. The crew later reboarded the ISALLT and continued the voyage. After this incident the rig was much reduced to a bald headed fore and after.

From 1940 - 1946 she was operated by the Marine Service of Eire as a training ship. After the war four Arklow men bought her and she resumed her former trade but her luck was running out. In 1946 she got into trouble off Howth Head and was towed in to Dublin. R. Scott saw her then and she was now looking a very sorry old lady, with her main mast removed and only two stump masts.

In late 1947, she was sold to a Mr. A. A. Harris who had her repaired, an electrical system fitted and a wheelhouse built over the helm. But the end had come. In a trial voyage (she was to go to the West Indies) in 1947 she was driven aground in a fierce SE'ly gale on Ballymoney Strand (sometimes written as Ballymooney) with the tragic loss of five of the crew of seven. She was soon battered to pieces.

The ISALLT was the last Portmadoc built ship under sail and with her wrecking an age ended.

  Isallt's Figurehead. Photo by R.Scott 1946

The Western Ocean Yacht

Lost of the Ballymoney Strand
off of Wexford Ireland

Run on the rocks December 5th 1947
2 survivors - 4 dead
including: C. J. McGuinness

Sources
Immortal Sails by Henry Hughes
Porthmadog Ships by Aled Eames and Emrys Hughes
Machlud Hwyliau'r Cymry by Aled Eames
Maritime Wales,
Sea Breezes 1948

partially accurate history courtesy of
R. Cadwalader