The SS Mona (II), originally named SS Hazel, was a steel-hulled packet steamer built in 1907 at the Govan yards of Fairfields & Co. She measured 261 feet in length, with a beam of 36 feet and a depth of 16 feet, and had a gross registered tonnage of 1,219 GRT. Powered by twin screws driven by two four-cylinder triple expansion engines developing 3,100 indicated horsepower, she achieved a service speed of approximately 18 knots. Initially operated by the Laird Line, Hazel primarily served the Ardrossan-Portrush route. Her propulsion system and size made her suitable for passenger and cargo services along this route, and her twin-screw configuration provided reliable performance. During the Great War, Hazel was among the eleven Steam Packet ships either purchased or chartered by the Admiralty; however, only four of these vessels returned to peacetime service afterward. In 1919, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company acquired her from G. and J. Burns of Glasgow for £65,000, intending to replace wartime losses and bolster their fleet during the post-war recovery. Renamed Mona, she became the first of five vessels purchased by the company between 1919 and 1920. Her range was approximately two days of steaming at an average coal consumption of 66 tons daily, mainly serving secondary and night routes. Throughout her career, Mona experienced notable incidents, including running ashore on Conister Rock in Douglas Bay on July 2, 1930, an event that prompted the painting of the Victoria Pier’s face to improve navigation safety. She also rammed the Crosby Light Ship in foggy conditions. By the last two years of her service, Mona was mainly allocated to reserve or cargo duties. She was sold for scrapping in December 1938 to E. G. Rees of Llanelly, bringing her maritime service to an end. The SS Mona holds significance as a representative example of early 20th-century packet steamers and the post-war efforts of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company to rebuild its fleet.

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