42° 22′ 31.5588″ N Longitude: -80° 21′ 13.86″ W
History #
Aycliffe Hall was a bulk freighter that was built in 1928 by Smith’s Dock Co. in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. It was constructed for the Hall Corporation of Canada, and its official number was 147800. The vessel was made of steel and had a length of 253 feet, a beam of 44 feet, and a depth of 18 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 1900.
The propulsion system of Aycliffe Hall consisted of a screw. It was powered by a triple expansion engine with cylinders of 15, 25, and 40 inches in diameter, and a stroke of 33 inches. The engine had an indicated horsepower of either 750 or 800. The steam for the engine was produced by two coal-fired, single-ended Scotch boilers.
On October 11, 1936, Aycliffe Hall was involved in a collision with the steel steamer Edward J. Berwind in Lake Erie, off Long Point, Ohio. The collision occurred in foggy conditions, and Aycliffe Hall sank as a result. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties, as the crew of Aycliffe Hall was picked up by Edward J. Berwind after abandoning ship.
Salvagers attempted to bring Aycliffe Hall to the surface in the fall of 1936 but were unsuccessful in keeping her afloat. The wreck of Aycliffe Hall was later discovered by the U.S. Lighthouse tender Crocus in 1939. The Canadian government dynamited the wreck soon after its discovery.
AYCLIFFE HALL was part of the Hall Corporation fleet, which was involved in the operation and ownership of vessels. The Hall Corporation had a large fleet of ships, and in the 1920s, they built a new and modern fleet of canal-sized steamers. Aycliffe Hall was the first ship in the fleet to carry a “Cliffe Hall” name, and it was named after the town of Aycliffe in Durham County, England, which was the birthplace of Albert Hutchinson, a manager of the Hall Corporation.
The Hall canallers, including Aycliffe Hall, had a distinctive appearance. They were considered among the best-looking canallers of the 1920s. Aycliffe Hall had a sheerless hull with bluff bows, a straight stem, and a heavy counter stern. It featured a full raised forecastle, a texas cabin, a pilothouse, an after cabin, and a boat deck. It had six large hatches on the spar deck and carried two pole masts. Aycliffe Hall was painted in the Hall Corporation livery, with a black hull and white cabins.
Overall, Aycliffe Hall had a relatively short lifespan, sinking in 1936, just eight years after its construction.
