The SS Snaefell V was a passenger vessel operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company from 1948 to 1978. She was the fifth ship to carry the name "Snaefell" in the company's fleet. Built by Cammell Laird, she was the fourth of six sister ships delivered between 1946 and 1955, collectively known as the "six sisters." The vessel was constructed at a cost of £504,448, approximately equivalent to £23 million in 2023. Launched on 11 March 1948 by Mrs. J. R. Quayle, the Snaefell underwent sea trials on 19 and 20 July of that year, and her maiden voyage took place from Liverpool to Douglas on 24 July 1948. The vessel had a registered gross register tonnage (GRT) of 2,489 and shared similar dimensions, speed, horsepower, and crew accommodations with her three predecessors—Tynwald, Mona's Queen, and King Orry. Designed primarily for passenger service, Snaefell's career was largely uneventful, apart from a notable incident in July 1976 when she fouled her anchor off Llandudno and missed a sailing. She was among the last ships on the company's Heysham-Douglas route until its closure in August 1974, alongside her younger sister Mona's Isle. Snaefell's service concluded after her final sailing from Douglas on the August Bank Holiday Monday in 1977. She was subsequently laid up in Bidston Dock, Birkenhead. In 1978, she was sold to the Rochdale Metal Recovery Co. for scrap, and by November of that year, she was towed to Blyth for dismantling. Notably, her ship's bell was salvaged and remains in private ownership on the Isle of Man. Additionally, six of her bronze portholes were recovered and later installed in the 1937 Thames tug 'Swallow,' which is recorded on the National Historic Ships Register. The Snaefell’s career marked the end of an era for traditional Manx passenger vessels, and her remains and artifacts serve as a testament to mid-20th-century maritime passenger service.

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