Cruising in royal company

In the two previous centuries there wasn't much else to write about, apart from local scandal. Sadly, I am unable to indulge in that department.

For many years our Channel steamers were built by Denny Bros of Dumbarton and fine vessels they always seemed to be. But one exception was made when the Dieppe IV, built at the Fairfield yard also on the Clyde, arrived here in 1905.

She was of 1,216 gross tonnage and a speed of almost 22 knots. She had pleasing lines, but always looked rather 'down at the head', which may appear obvious in the above picture which shows her passing the end of the breakwater in the surge which frequents that area.

When new she wasn't plated in with windows. There were just alley-ways at either side with one long stretch of canvas which would be tied along the weather side and changed when the ship went the opposite way. The luxury of windows and the gained sheltered area, didn't happen until the arrival of the Worthing in 1928.

A programme followed, on both sides of the Channel, whereby steamers over a certain age would not be converted. The Dieppe just managed to squeeze in for the windows, but unlike our Paris and the three French vessels, she was not converted to oil burning; her number was up and she left in 1933.

Note the crowd of passengers on the after deck. They would be classified 'steerage', the cheap way to travel. I imagine they were able to go below in adverse weather. They were near the rudder, hence the name of their class. The Dieppe was a good old plodder with no spectacular happenings to her credit, but with one exception. At 3.30am on November 27 1924, wind and seas drove her up into the bight where at low water is our sandy beach.

She was stern to the promenade. The tugs Alert and Richmere were soon on the scene. The latter, the small tug, was to take a cable and link the Dieppe and Alert, allowing the latter to keep in deep water. Sadly, the hawser got around the little one's propeller, putting her out of action. She was driven against the promenade wall near the steps. In the dark this was a very serious situation.

Our open lifeboat of the time was launched and by a miracle rescued the helpless crew of the Richmere, which later sank. The badly damaged lifeboat with the rescued men made harbour.

Somehow the Dieppe made harbour by 8.10am and discharged. The stricken Richmere was later beached in the northeast corner of Sleepers Hole, where then was a small beach (gone with the deep dredging of today's marina). Here she was repaired by the marine shop's staff and soldiered on until replaced by the Tidworth in World War II or very soon after.

But what of the Dieppe? She was eventually sold to Lord Moyne of the Guinness family, a British diplomat who was later murdered in the Middle East (if my memory serves me well). She became the luxury yacht (now diesel) Rosaura.

The Duke of Windsor, later to be the uncrowned King, together with Mrs Wallis Simpson, enjoyed a cruise on this most superior of yachts (Mrs Simpson secretly left Newhaven on the French SS Newhaven at the time of the King's abdication, he leaving by destroyer from Dover). If you don't want to be noticed, travel Newhaven to Dieppe.

As for the attractive Rosaura, I think she became an Ack-Ack defence vessel in the Mediterranean and was lost on war service.