Francisco García Fernández, S.A.




La Montaña - Revista Seamanal de la Colonia Montañesa en La Habana - 27/07/1918 Some of the first seven vessels changed their name after bought, and all them in 1916, as per next table:

Name before	Name after bought	Name in 1916
Ugarte Nº1	Treto / Maria Clotilde	Clotilde Garcia
Luis	Maria Magdalena	Magdalena Garcia
Maria del Carmen	Maria del Carmen	Villa de Pesquera
Maria Gertrudis	Maria Gertrudis	Eduardo Garcia
Chio	Maria Cruz	Toñin Garcia
Fomento	Maria Mercedes	Agustina Garcia
Progreso	Maria Pilar	Lost in 1915

Maria Magdalena Magdalena Garcia         Before being called Magdalena Garcia from her purchase until 1916 her name was Maria Magdalena. She was bought in 1900 to Luis Castellano, when her name was Luis, having named before Bayones, Mariana and Ugarte. Comparing this and the next photo, when she was already Paco Garcia, can be seen the great difference of silhouette between ballast and loaded conditions due to her small size.         When integrated in 1922 in Vapores Costeros she received first the name Magdalena. Later was renamed Paco Garcia, after the sinking of the first Paco Garcia. In 1960 her steam reciprocating machine was removed, and a diesel engine installed. In 1971 she was bouhgt by Naviera Álvarez, but only three years later she was scrapped.         Here is yet as Magdalena berthed at Santander downtown. In the background was the gas station that nowadays has been reconverted in a snack bar, due to the construction of the Centro Botín.

Shipyard / Year	W.B. Thompson / 1876
Owner	Ugarte Hermanos
Name	Ugarte
Owner / Year	Enrique Tejeiro / 1878
Name	Mariana
Owner / Year	José Pedrós / 1882
Name	Bayones
Owner / Year	Luis Castellano / 1899
Name	Luis
Dead weight	245	MT
Gross register	176	GRT
Length	36.7	mtr
Breadth	6.3	mtr
Depth	2.8	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	156	H.P.
Bought	1898	to
Owner	Luis Castillo
Name	Luis
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Magdalena
Name 1960	Paco Garcia
Owner / Year	Naviera Álvarez / 1971
Name	Paco Garcia
Scrapped	1974

At the Muelle de Fomento at Gijón, alongside a steamer. Both with open bridge.
At Bilbao also as Maria Magdalena


The crisscrossed storiess of the above and below ships are difficult to follow because their owners exchanged them, exchanging their names at the time, for that reason I have summarized them in the following table:

Year		Name	Owner		Name	Owner
Before 1878		Ugarte	Ugarte Hermanos		Mariana	Enrique Tejeiro
1878 - Exchange		Mariana	Enrique Tejeiro		Ugarte Nº1	Ugarte Hermanos
1882		Bayones	José Pedrós		Ugarte Nº1	Ugarte Hermanos
1899		Luis	Luis Castillo		Ugarte Nº1	Ugarte Hermanos
1900		Maria Magdalena	Francisco García		Treto	Francisco García
1900		Maria Magdalena	Francisco García		Maria Clotilde	Francisco García

Treto Maria Clotilde Clotilde García When she was bought was renamed Maria Clotilde, the name she was wearing in this photo. At Santander, alongside other ship of the company, can be seen her small size.

Shipyard / Year	Cox and Company / 1887
Owner	Enrique Tejeiro
Name	Mariana
Owner / Year	Ugarte Hermanos / 1878
Name	Ugarte Nº 1
Dead weight	125	MT
Gross register	69	GRT
Length	29.3	mtr
Breadth	5.0	mtr
Depth	2.5	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	100	H.P.
Bought	1903	to
Owner	Ugarte Hermanos
Name	Ugarte Nº 1
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Conchita
Scrapped	1957

When in 1922 she was incorporated to Vapores Costeros her name changed to Conchita.


Maria Mercedes Agustina Garcia        She was bought in 1904 to Teodoro H. Maruri, under whose ownership she was named Fomento, and renamed Maria Mercedes, name that changed in 1916 to Agustina Garcia. She was sold in 1917 to Jose Bonet and Tomás Mallol, being renamed La Sabinosa. In 1919 she was acquired by Naviera Catalana and renamed in 1922 Ampurdanes, and in 1924 Freixas 3. In 1929 she was bought by Julio Matas Danés and renamed Ampurdan. She had a long life since at least in 1966 she was still active, although since 1948 her owner was Navegación y Pesca, S.A.

Shipyard / Year	Fullerton / 1870
Name	Glengarnock
Owner / Year	Teodoro H. Maruri / 1874
Name	Fomento
Dead weight	270	MT
Gross register	217	GRT
Length	42.5	mtr
Breadth	6.1	mtr
Depth	2.9	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	215	H.P.
Bought	1904	to
Owner	Teodoro H. Maruri
Sold	1918	to
Owner	J. Bonet - T. Mallol - La Sabinosa
Name	Fomento
Sold	1917	to
Owner	J. Bonet - T. Mallol
Name	La Sabinosa
Owner / Year	Naviera Catalana / 1919
Name	La Sabinosa
Nombre 1922	Ampurdanes
Nombre 1924	Freixas 3
Owner / Year	Julio Mata Danés / 1929
Nombre 1931	Ampurdan
Owner / Year	Navegación y Pesca / 1948
Name	Ampurdan
End	Unknown

At San Sebastián whe she was yet Maria Mercedes


Maria Pilar At the Muelle de Fomento, at Gijón         She was also bought in 1904 to Theodore H. Maruri when she was named Progreso. She was lost in 1915 in the vicinity of Orio, on a trip from Santander to Pasajes. As the sinking was before 1916 ahe did not received the surname García.

Shipyard / Year	W.B. Thompson / 1870
Owner	Teodoro H. Maruri
Name	Progreso
Dead weight	235	MT
Gross register	208	GRT
Length	38.9	mtr
Breadth	5.8	mtr
Depth	3.1	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	106	H.P.
Bought	1904	to
Owner	Teodoro H. Maruri
Name	Progreso
Sunk	27/05/1915 - Close to Orio

Maria Gertrudis Eduardo Garcia At Santander downtown, close to Hotel Bahía. When in 1922 she was incorporated to Vapores Costeros she was renamed Prudencia, name she had on this photo.

Shipyard / Year	Cox and Company / 1887
Owner	Manuel Cué Fernández - La Habana
Name	Gertrudis
Owner	Claudio Fernández Rodríguez
Name	Maria Gertrudis
Dead weight	125	MT
Gross register	102	GRT
Length	26.6	mtr
Breadth	5.2	mtr
Depth	2.3	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	116	H.P.
Bought	1901	to
Owner	Claudio Fernández Rodríguez
Name	Maria Gertrudis
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Prudencia
Scrapped	1974

Maria Cruz Toñin Garcia         After several owners and names she was bought by Francisco García in 1904. In 1922 she was transfered to Vapores Costeros, and renamed Toñin.

Shipyard / Year	Fullerton / 1870
Name	Amy
Owner / Year	Nicolás Ulubarri / 1890
Name	Laredo
Owner / Year	Compañía Marítima Cantabria / 1894
Name	Laredo
Owner / Year	José Pérez Ayuela / 1899
Name	Chio
Dead weight	150	MT
Gross register	161	GRT
Length	31.6	mtr
Breadth	6.2	mtr
Depth	2.5	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	140	H.P.
Bought	1904	to
Owner	José Pérez Ayuela
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Toñin
Scrapped	1961

        She was scrapped in 1961 at Avilés. She was towed from Santander to Avilés by the Maria Santiuste. Here they were leaving Puertochico.


Maria del Carmen Villa de Pesquera In 1922 she was joining Vapores Costeros, an renamed Angeles.

Shipyard / Year	Cunlitf and Dawson / 1869
Name	Cauvara
Owner / Year	Pedro de la Colina y Carrera / 1869
Name	Barcelona
Owner / Year	Ramón y Juan Fernández / 1882
Name	Maria del Carmen
Dead weight	139	MT
Gross register	130	GRT
Length	26.0	mtr
Breadth	5.5	mtr
Depth	2.5	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	112	H.P.
Bought	1904	to
Owner	Ramón y Juan Fernández
Name	Maria del Carmen
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Angeles
Scrapped	1965

In 1910 were bought three vessels that changed their names as per next table:

Owner	Name	Name in 1910	Name in 1916
Minera Cántabro-Asturiana	Palmira	Garcia Nº 1	Sunk in 1913
Minera Cántabro-Asturiana	Asturias	Garcia Nº 2	Paco Garcia
Gregorio Manzárraga	Luis Pinzon	Garcia Nº 3	Juan Garcia

Garcia Nº 1

Shipyard / Year	Fullerton / 1869
Owner	Andrés Isasi
Name	Maria Isasi
Owner / Year	Olavarría y Lozano / 1893
Name	Palmira
Owner / Year	González Posada / 1907
Name	Palmira
Owner / Year	Soc. Minera Cántabro-Asturiana / 1909
Name	Palmira
Dead weight	240	MT
Gross register	165	GRT
Length	26.2	mtr
Breadth	5.9	mtr
Depth	2.6	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	107	H.P.
Bought	1910	to
Owner	Sociedad Minera Cántabro-Asturiana
Name	Palmira
Wrecked	12/12/1913 - Close to Gijón

At Gijón as Palmira
The local newspaper wrote about the grounding and lost of the vessel El Noroeste - 11/December/1913 El Comercio - 12/December/1913 El Noroeste - 12/December/1913 El Comercio - 13/December/1913


Garcia Nº 2 Paco Garcia At Santander

Shipyard/Year	R. Thompson & Sons / 1897
Name	Lewis
Owner / Year	Menéndez y Fernández / 1902
Name	Asturias
Owner / Year	Ramón Fernández / 1907
Name	Asturias
Owner / Year	Soc. Minera Cántabro-Asturiana / 1909
Name	Asturias
Dead weight	205	MT
Gross register	197	GRT
Length	35.0	mtr
Breadth	6.1	mtr
Depth	2.8	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	132	H.P.
Bought	1910	to
Owner	Ramón Fernández
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Paco Garcia
Sunk - 29/12/1959 between Gijón and Burela - 1 dead

Garcia Nº 3 Juan Garcia

Shipyard/Year	Caird and Company / 1865
Owner	J.G. Perido - Cádiz
Name	Pedro
Owner / Year	Pedro Marroquí - Cádiz / 1879
Name	Andaluz
Owner / Year	G. Verdejo - Almería / 1885
Name	Juana
Owner / Year	L. Camero y Reino - Huelva / 1888
Name	Luis Pinzón
Owner / Year	J. José María Parejo - Huelva / 1890
Name	Luis Pínzon
Owner / Year	Th. Morrison - Huelva / 1894
Name	Luis Pinzon
Owner / Year	Moll y Corominas - Barcelona / 1901
Name	Luis Pinzon
Owner / Year	M. Duclos y Cía. - Alicante / 1902
Name	Luis Pinzon
Owner / Year	P. Elguezabal - Alicante / 1904
Name	Luis Pinzon
Owner / Year	Mazarrasa y Larrumbide - Alicante / 1907
Name	Luis Pinzon
Dead weight	268	MT
Gross register	180	GRT
Length	38.1	mtr
Breadth	5.2	mtr
Depth	3.7	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Potencia	110	C.V.
Bought	1910	to
Owner	Gregorio Mazarrasa
Name	Luis Pinzon
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Maria Santiuste
Scrapped in 1924 due to damages after grounding

In 1914-15 were bought three vessels that received directly the surname García, as per next table:

Owner	Name	Name after bought
Antonio López de Haro Zárate	España	Francisco Garcia
Compañía de Navegación La Isleña	Tenerife	Antonio Garcia
Compañía de Navegación La Isleña	Chasna	Rita Garcia

Francisco Garcia

Shipyard / Year	C. Hill and Sons / 1884
Name	Westbury
Owner / Year	Hijos de Gaspar Matos - Barcelona / 1902
Name	Gerona
Owner / Year	Vives y Morales - Málaga / 1905
Name	España
Owner / Year	Luis Vives García - Málaga / 1910
Name	España
Owner / Year	Antonio López de Haro Zárate / 1912
Name	España
Dead weight	478	MT
Gross register	390	GRT
Length	46.5	mtr
Breadth	6.7	mtr
Depth	4.5	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	270	H.P.
Bought	1914	to
Owner	Antonio López de Haro Zárate
Name	España
Sold	1917	to
Owner	Compañía Duranguesa
Name	Ermodo
Owner / Year	Compañía Marítima Ybai
Name	Ybai Zuri
Owner / Year	Compañía Naviera Iturri
Name	Iturri Zuri
Scrapped	Mahón - 1923

Antonio Garcia         This was the first Antonio Garcia. She was built by Scott and Company at Bownes (United Kingdom) as Nigel. After four Brithish owners she was bought by Compañía de Navegación Tenerife and renamed Tenerife, being sold in 1907 to Compañía Isleña de Vapores Fruteros de Tenerife-Hamilton and Company, keeping the name. In 1915 she was bought by Francisco García and renamed Antonio Garcia. In 1918 she was sold to Antonio Rosell Porta, being renamed as Malvarrosa, name that she has on the photo. In 1926 she was bought by Joaquín Cabo Páez, changing her name to Cabo Paez, that kept until scrapped in 1969, although since 1936 the owners were Cabo Hermanos.

Shipyard / Year	Scott and Company / 1886
Name	Nigel
Owner / Year	Cía. de Navegación de Tenerife / 1895
Name	Tenerife
Owner / Year	Compañía de Navegación La Isleña / 1907
Name	Tenerife
Dead weight	300	MT
Gross register	256	GRT
Length	41.2	mtr
Breadth	6.7	mtr
Depth	3.2	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	320	H.P.
Bought	1915	to
Owner	Compañía de Navegación La Isleña
Name	Tenerife
Sold	1918	to
Owner	Antonio Rosell Porta
Name	Malvarrosa
Owner	Joaquín Cabo Páez / 1926
Name	Cabo Paez
Scrapped	1969

Rita Garcia         The first Rita Garcia was bought in 1915 also to Compañía Isleña de Vapores Fruteros de Tenerife-Hamilton and Company, where she was Chasna. She wasintegrated in 1922 in Vapores Costeros, being renamed Carmen.
        She grounded on 5/July/1969 close to Tagle (Cantabria - Spain), being a total loss. Her seven crewmembers got ashore by their own.

Shipyard / Year	Gibbs and Company / 1904
Owner	Compañía de Navegación de Tenerife
Name	Chasna
Owner / Year	Compañía de Navegación La Isleña / 1907
Name	Chasna
Dead weight	225	MT
Gross register	199	GRT
Length	32.0	mtr
Breadth	6.6	mtr
Depth	3.5	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating compound
Power	144	H.P.
Bought	1915	to
Owner	Compañía de Navegación La Isleña
Name	Chasna
Sold	1922	to
Owner	Vapores Costeros
Name	Carmen
Wrecked	05/07/1959 - Close to Tagle (Cantabria)

Toñueca Garcia         The last ship bought in this stage was a sailing ship, the Toñueca Garcia. She was built in 1899 but is unknown where. In 1924 she was sold to Isidro Real Besamela and renamed Covadal.

Shipyard / Year	xxxx / 1899
Dead weight	100	MT
Gross register	57	GRT
Length	19.1	mtr
Breadth	5.5	mtr
Depth	2.3	mtr
Propulsion	Sailing ship
Auxilar machine for maneuvers
Power	25	H.P.
Sold	1918	to
Owner	Isidro Real Besamela - Santander
Name	Covadal

        When in 1922 Vapores Costeros was created all the steam vessels were integrated in it and only the Toñueca Garcia was kept. In 1926 the tugboat Bizi Gara, built at Bilbao in 1920, was bought and renamed Tritonazo, being sold in 1929. In 1924 began the second stage of the shipping company buying vessels of greater tonnage to be dedicated to great cabotage and trasatlantic navigations. The next table shows them:

Owner	Name	Name after bought
Luis Liaño Trueba	Pilar	Francisco Garcia
Sociedad Naviera Elcano	Donostia	Magdalena R. de Garcia
José Martínez Fernández	Tres Hermanos	Antonio Garcia
Ellaston Steamship	Ellaston	Rita Garcia

Francisco Garcia

Shipyard / Year	Whitehaven Shipyard / 1885
Name	Beny
Name 1889	Mongibello
Name 1899	Gouverneur Ballay
Dead weight	1,500	MT
Gross register	985	GRT
Length	65.7	meters
Breadth	10.3	metrs
Depth	4.8	metrs
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	508	H.P.
Bought	1924	to
Owner	Luis Liaño Trueba
Name	Pilar
Sold	1931	to
Owner	Jesús García Castillo
Name	Jesus Antonio
Sunk	30/06/1941 - Mine close to Genoa

Magdalena R. de Garcia

Shipyard / Year	London & Glasgow / 1895
Name	Vimeira
Owner / Year	Echevarrieta y Larrinaga / 1913
Name	Miguel
Owner / Year	S.A. de Navegación Palma / 1917
Name	Miguel
Owner / Year	C.A. de Navegación Izarra / 1918
Name	Donostia
Owner / Year	Sociedad Naviera Elcano / 1920
Name	Donostia
Dead weight	4,200	MT
Gross register	2,710	GRT
Length	91.4	mtr
Breadth	12.8	mtr
Depth	5.9	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	1,286	H.P.
Bought	1924	to
Owner	Sociedad Naviera Elcano
Name	Donostia
Scrapped	Bilbao - 1935

Antonio Garcia         She was bought in 1927 from José Martínez Fernández, who had bought her in 1919 when, being British, she carried the name Cogent, with which can be seen here. Only two years later, on 13/December/1929, she sank off Vigo during a voyage from Avilés to Valencia with coal after a collision with the Hydra, with five crew members dead.

Shipyard / Year	J. Westoll / 1883
Name	Cogent
Owner / Year	José Martínez Fernández / 1919
Name	Tres Hermanos
Dead weight	3,100	MT
Length	83.8	mtr
Breadth	11.7	mtr
Depth	6.2	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	1,180	H.P.
Bought	1927	to
Owner	José Martínez Fernández
Name	Tres Hermanos
Sunk	13/12/1929 -- 42ª10'N - 09º31'W

Rita Garcia         The second Rita Garcia was built in 1922 and bought in 1929. She was almost new, only 7 years old when bought. She was the youngest vessel bought by the company, the next one was the first Rita Garcia, 11 years old when bought. The oldest when bought was the Garcia Nº 1: 41 years old.

Shipyard / Year	R. Thompson / 1922
Name	Ellaston
Dead weight	6,980	MT
Gross register	3,708	GRT
Length	109.5	mtr
Breadth	15.0	mtr
Depth	8.0	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	1,800	H.P.
Bought	1929	to
Owner	Ellaston Steamship Co.
Name	Ellaston
Scrapped	Cartagena - 1969

        She suffered on 11/February/1936 a severe accident that was close to constructive total loss, although with a lot of work and luck she was saved. As a result she was repairing at Euskalduna (Bilbao) when the Civil War began, being confiscated by the Republican Government and making several trips after the completion of said repair. In 1938 she was recovered by the National Government and returned to her shipowner, remaining in service until being scrapped in 1969 at Cartagena.         Due to the damages caused by a storm, she grounded on 11/February/1936 near Ancona (Italy) when she was sailing with coal from the United Kingdom to Ravenna (Italy). On this photo she is seen on the morning of that day, shortly after the grounding.         This photo was shot at 14:15 on the same day. On this and the previous one can be observed the lifeline to evacuate the crew.         The crew was later transferred to Ancona, after walking up the hill to some cars that were at the road located on the top of the cliff. On the way to them they shot this photo at 17:30 that same day.         As soon as the storm subsided, work began to refloat the ship. For this it was necessary to lighten the coal to barges while trying to remove her with tugs. On this photo taken on March 4th, the tugboats had to leave due another storm that caused a barge to sink. She was finally refloated on March 14th and after being towed to Trieste to be repaired provisionally returned to Spain to be permanently repaired. La Voz de Cantabria -- 12/March/1936 La Voz de Cantabria -- 14/March/1936 This nice photo shows her at Tarragona

  Spanish version 


    

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