Star of Scotland, ex Kenilworth

Date

2008

Authors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University Libraries

Abstract

Ship Name:Star of Scotland; Sailed: 1887-1942; Type: Steel 4 bark, earlier 4-masted ship, and later 6-masted schooner; Built by: Port Glasgow, J. Reid; Dimensions: 300.2' x 43.1' x 24.2'; Tonnage: 2308 tons.

Description

Star of Scotland became part of the Alaska Packers Association fleet in 1908 after two careers— one with the Waverley Line of Liverpool, and then with Arthur Sewall of Bath, Maine. The ship caught fire from an adjacent burning warehouse in San Francisco and the underwriters called Kenilworth a constructive total loss. Arthur Sewall bought the ship at auction, rebuilt Kenilworth (qualifying the ship for American registry) and put the ship to sea as a sailing test bed for the putative economies of steel construction and upkeep. Sewall was convinced, and he began building steel sailing freighters commencing with Dirigo in 1894. The Alaska Packers Association (who changed the ship’s name to Star of Scotland) used the ship in their annual treks to salmon fishing and canning operations in Alaska until 1917, when the US Shipping Board took over the ship during World War I. While employed by the government, Star of Scotland voyaged back and forth to Hawaii from the west coast. After the war, Alaska Packers Association got the ship back. Alaska Packers Association sold Star of Scotland in 1930 to Arnold Pearce and a partner in Los Angeles, who moored the ship offshore as a fishing platform. In 1938, the ship sold again and was renamed Rex and operated outside the U.S. territorial limit as a gambling ship. When World War II reared its head, Rex was sold again to a F. A. Hellenthal of Santa Monica and re-rigged as a six-masted schooner, and named once again, Star of Scotland. Star of Scotland was caught by a U boat in the South Atlantic and sunk 13 November 1942.

Keywords

Merchant Ships, Ships

Citation