View source for MV Conister

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image =[[File:MV Conister..JPG|300px|MV Conister.]]
| Ship caption =''Conister'' 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Isle of Man|civil}}
| Ship name =*''Conister''
*1955-1972 MV ''Brentfield''
*1972-1973 MV ''Spaniel''
| Ship owner =*1955-58 Zillah Shipping & Trading Co Ltd, Liverpool
*1958-65 Coast Lines Ltd, Liverpool
*1965-68 Burns & Laird Lines Ltd, Glasgow
*1968-70 Coast Lines Ltd, Liverpool
*1970-72 Coast Lines (Services) Ltd, Liverpool
*1972-1973 Belfast Steamship Company
*1973-1981: [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]]
| Ship operator =*1955-58 Zillah Shipping & Trading Co Ltd, Liverpool
*1958-65 Coast Lines Ltd, Liverpool
*1965-68 Burns & Laird Lines Ltd, Glasgow
*1968-70 Coast Lines Ltd, Liverpool
*1970-72 Coast Lines (Services) Ltd, Liverpool
*1972-1973 Belfast Steamship Company
*1973-1981: Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
| Ship registry = [[Douglas, Isle of Man]]
| Ship route =
| Ship ordered =
| Ship builder = George Brown & Co. [[Greenock]]
| Ship original cost = Not Recorded. Purchased by the [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]] for a sum of £96,711 in 1973
| Ship yard number = 
| Ship way number =
| Ship laid down =
| Ship launched =21 June 1955
| Ship completed =1955
| Ship christened =
| Ship acquired =
| Ship maiden voyage =
| Ship in service = 1955
| Ship out of service = 1981
| Ship identification =*{{IMO Number|5336313}}
*[[Official number|Official Number 187114]]
*Code Letters G T V B
*{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Tango}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
| Ship fate = Scrapped 29 September 1981
| Ship notes =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship type = Cargo Ship.
| Ship tonnage = {{GRT|891|disp=long}}
| Ship displacement =
| Ship length = {{convert|208|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|38|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught =
| Ship depth = {{convert|15|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks =
| Ship deck clearance =
| Ship ramps =
| Ship power = 1260 [[indicated horsepower]]
| Ship propulsion = Sulzer 7cyl (360x600mm) 2S.C.SA oil engine, 1260bhp
| Ship speed = {{convert|11|kn|mph}}
| Ship capacity = 46 Container Units
| Ship crew =
| Ship notes =
}}
|}

'''MV ''Conister'' (II)'''  [[Official number|No. 187114]] was a cargo vessel operated by the [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]], the second vessel in the Company's history to bear the name.

==Construction and dimensions==
''Conister'' was a steel; single-screw vessel built by George Brown & Co., at [[Greenock]] in 1955.

Length 208'; beam 38'; depth 15'. ''Conister'' had a registered tonnage of {{GRT|891}} and was powered by a 7-cylinder T.D.36 Sulzer engine which developed 1,260 [[indicated horsepower]]. This gave ''Conister'' a service speed of 11 knots.

==Service life==
The ship entered service with Zillah Shipping & Trading Co Ltd, Liverpool, in 1955 and was named ''Brentfield''.

''Brentfield'' was subsequently sold in 1958 to Coast Lines Ltd, Liverpool, and then in 1965 to Burns & Laird Lines Ltd, Glasgow. Sold back to Coast Lines Ltd in 1968, her services were retained until she was again sold, this time to the Belfast Steamship Company in 1972, and renamed the ''Spaniel''.

In the early 1970s [[containerization]] resulted in a marked upsurge in freight business to and from the [[Isle of Man]]. In 1973 alone, there was a 31 per cent rise in cargo. It was first expected that {{MV|Peveril|1963|2}}, operating alongside {{MV|Ramsey||2}} would be able to meet this demand and the company sold their other general cargo vessel, {{MV|Fenella|1951|2}} at the beginning of 1973. However, the majority of cargo shipping soon switched to containers, and given ''Ramsey''{{'}}s deficiencies in handling containerized cargoes, it became apparent that a second container vessel would be needed to expedite matters. The ''Spaniel'' was chartered as a container ship by the Steam Packet Company early in 1973, and bought outright by them in November of that year.

The consideration was £96,711 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|96711|1973|r=0}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}; and upon her purchase she was renamed ''Conister''.

==Disposal==
By the early 1980s it was apparent to the Steam Packet that in order to compete with their then rival Manxline, the introduction of a [[RO-RO]] cargo service was necessary. Both ''Conister'' and {{MV|Peveril|1963|2}} (III) were put up for sale, and a new cargo vessel ''NF Jaguar'' was chartered - this vessel went on to be purchased, and renamed {{MV|Peveril|1971|2}} (IV).

''Conister'' was sold to Asturamerican Shipping Co Inc, Panama, and arrived in Spain on 29 September 1981 for scrapping. She was broken up at San Juan De Nieva, Spain by Desguaces Y Salvamentos S.A.

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
* Chappell, Connery (1980). ''Island Lifeline'' T.Stephenson & Sons Ltd {{ISBN|0-901314-20-X}}

{{Steam Packet Ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conister}}
[[Category:Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]]
[[Category:1955 ships]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]