IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION:
VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION:
The AYCLIFFE HALL was a steel bulk freighter built in 1928 by Smith’s Dock Co. in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom, for the Hall Corporation of Canada. The vessel measured 253 feet in length, 44 feet in beam, and had a depth of 18 feet. It was designed for bulk cargo transportation, typical of the “canaller” type vessels that were able to navigate the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway canals.
The freighter was powered by a screw propulsion system and featured a triple expansion engine with cylinders of 15, 25, and 40 inches in diameter, and a stroke of 33 inches. This engine was capable of producing an indicated horsepower of 750 to 800, with steam supplied by two coal-fired, single-ended Scotch boilers.
The AYCLIFFE HALL was noted for its distinctive design and appearance. It had a sheerless hull, bluff bows, a straight stem, and a heavy counter stern. The vessel’s design included a full raised forecastle, a texas cabin, a pilothouse, an after cabin, and a boat deck. It featured six large hatches on the spar deck and carried two pole masts, painted in the Hall Corporation livery, with a black hull and white cabins.
HISTORY:
The AYCLIFFE HALL was the first vessel in the Hall Corporation’s fleet to carry the “Cliffe Hall” name, named after Aycliffe, a town in Durham County, England, which was the birthplace of Albert Hutchinson, a manager of the Hall Corporation. The Hall Corporation had a large fleet of canal-sized steamers, and AYCLIFFE HALL was part of their modernized fleet built during the 1920s.
On October 11, 1936, the AYCLIFFE HALL was involved in a collision with the steel steamer EDWARD J. BERWIND in Lake Erie, off Long Point, Ohio. The collision occurred under foggy conditions, and despite the crew’s efforts, the AYCLIFFE HALL sank. Fortunately, the crew was rescued by the EDWARD J. BERWIND after abandoning ship.
Salvage efforts were initiated soon after the sinking, but attempts to raise the AYCLIFFE HALL in the fall of 1936 were unsuccessful. The wreck remained submerged until it was discovered by the U.S. Lighthouse tender CROCUS in 1939. Due to concerns about navigation hazards, the Canadian government decided to dynamite the wreck to eliminate any risks it might pose to other vessels.
FINAL DISPOSITION:
The AYCLIFFE HALL was dynamited by the Canadian government shortly after its discovery in 1939 to eliminate the potential navigational hazards it posed. The wreck remains on the bottom of Lake Erie, off Long Point, Ohio.
NOTMARs & ADVISORIES:
There are no current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) specifically related to the wreck of the AYCLIFFE HALL. The wreck was destroyed by dynamiting in 1939 and no longer poses a navigational hazard.
LOCATED BY & DATE:
The wreck was discovered by the U.S. Lighthouse tender CROCUS in 1939.
RESOURCES & LINKS:
- Ship of the Month No. 151 AYCLIFFE HALL
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Bowling Green State University
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessel History
- Thousand Islands Life
CONCLUSION:
The AYCLIFFE HALL represents a significant chapter in the maritime history of the Great Lakes, particularly as part of the Hall Corporation’s modern fleet of canal-sized steamers. Despite its relatively short service life, the vessel’s involvement in a fatal collision and its subsequent sinking highlight the dangers faced by maritime vessels navigating the often treacherous waters of the Great Lakes. The eventual destruction of the wreck by dynamiting underscores the importance of safety in the region, ensuring that such sunken hazards do not pose ongoing threats to navigation.
Keywords:
#AycliffeHall #BulkFreighter #GreatLakes #Shipwreck #LakeErie #MaritimeHistory #HallCorporation #Canaller #Collision #GreatLakesShipwrecks
