Maritime record MWX4960 - Premier

The Paddle Steamer Premier was involved in a collision with submarine Rainbow at the Portland Harbour entrance in 1932. The latter suffered no serious damage.

The Paddle Steamer Premier was involved in a collision with submarine Rainbow at the Portland Harbour entrance in 1932. The latter suffered no serious damage. (1) The Premier was a very old ship, approaching the end of her career, when she was in collision with HM Submarine Rainbow. The Premier had arrived in Weymouth in 1859, in order to cope with the expected increase in tourists wishing to see the Great Eastern on her planned stop in Portland Harbour during her maiden voyage. She continued in service with Cosens, the famous Weymouth paddle steamer company, for the next six decades, taking tourists from Weymouth to Portland, Lulworth Cove and other places of interest. On the morning of the 28th June 1932 she was taking 150 passengers to Portland. Her course lay along the outside of Portland Breakwater, at the same time HMS Rainbow was leaving the harbour. The two vessels didn’t see each other until it was too late. Rainbow struck the Premier close to her bow, this was fortunate as this was just in front of her only watertight bulkhead, which probably prevented a tragedy. As it was her passengers only suffered minor bruises, and all returned safely to Weymouth in the damaged paddle steamer under her own power. The Premier was rapidly repaired and was back in service in little more that two weeks. (2)

Record last edited

May 6 2004 10:51AM