Skegness Magazine

Wreck of the “Privateer” 1919
Old Skegness Pleasure Boat Lost at Sea Near France

The steamship “Privateer,” so well-known to past years at Skegness, has been lost at sea near France.
For several years the steamboat ran trips to Hunstanton, taking many thousands of visitors for sea voyages.

Latterly she was owned by Lawson and Co., of South Shields, and for the last twelve months had been towing ships to France. On a recent trip, having taken a vessel across the Channel, while awaiting to resume the homeward-bound journey she did some towing of barges, and got one of her paddle-wheels knocked of.

The “Privateer” was then herself taken in tow by the steam tug “Criterion” for repairs, and near Boulogne the tow-rope broke and the “Privateer” went ashore and was lost, her crew, however, being rescued.

A gale was blowing at the time, and it is curious that on returning to England the “Criterion” fell in with the crew of the Belgian smack “Ady” which was washed over the Longsand in the storm, and sunk in Boston Deeps.

The “Privateer” was owned in Boston by the late Mr Palmer, and her skipper for a long time was the late Captain J T Mawer.

Source: Skegness, Mablethorpe and Alford News 1919