The Cymric was a notable British and Irish schooner constructed in 1893 by William Thomas at Amlwch. This iron-hulled vessel featured a shallow draught of only 10.8 feet, making her well-suited for coastal and South American trade routes. She was rigged as a schooner with three wooden masts, characterized by very square yards on her foremast, a flaring bow, a round stern (round counter-stern), and lacked a poop deck. Originally built for the Thomas yard, Cymric was first operated under Captain Robert Jones, primarily engaging in trade between Runcorn, Gibraltar, and the Brazilian port of Porto Alegre. In 1906, Cymric was acquired by Captain Richard Hall of Arklow, Ireland, and re-rigged as a schooner, joining the expanding Arklow fleet. She was part of a fleet that was locally owned, managed, and crewed, with each ship divided into 64 shares, often with captains holding significant interests. Cymric’s early service involved the South American trade, but by the early 20th century, she participated in the Spanish wine trade along with other Arklow schooners. During World War I, Cymric was requisitioned by the Admiralty and served as a Q-ship, concealed armament designed to lure and attack U-boats. She was part of a group that claimed to sink enemy submarines, though post-war analysis cast doubt on these successes. Notably, Cymric sank the British submarine HMS J6 in October 1918 after mistaking her J6 marking for U6, resulting in the loss of 14 lives—a tragic friendly fire incident kept secret until 1969 under the Official Secrets Act. Post-war, Cymric returned to merchant service, primarily transporting malt along the Irish coast. She was involved in several accidents, including a collision with a tram in Dublin in 1921, and grounding incidents at Kilmore in 1922 and in Wexford Harbour in 1933. During World War II, she maintained a neutral stance, carrying cargoes between Ireland, Portugal, and the UK, often under charter to Betsons. Her final voyage began in Scotland in February 1944, loaded with coal destined for Lisbon, but she was last sighted off Dublin and subsequently vanished without trace. Her disappearance remains a maritime mystery, with no wreckage recovered. Cymric’s legacy endures, symbolizing Ireland’s maritime history and the perils faced by neutral shipping during wartime.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.