SS Magnetic
SS Magnetic was a passenger tender of the White Star Line built in 1891. She was laid down at the Harland and Wolff Shipyards in Belfast, Ireland. Magnetic was sold to a different company in 1932 and renamed Ryde, and scrapped in 1935.
White Star service
Magnetic was built by Harland and Wolff and launched on 28 March 1891, being delivered to her new owners on 6 June 1891. She was based at the Port of Liverpool and upon her completion, used mainly to take passengers to White Star's various ocean liners. However, she was also used as a water carrier, tow boat, tug and Mersey cruise boat. She was present at the 1897 Spithead Review as tender to White Star's Teutonic.
When the White Star Line completed the Royal Mail Ship Baltic in 1903, Magnetic was used almost exclusively as her tender. Magnetic is pictured beside the RMS Olympic in a photograph including Olympic's sister ship RMS Titanic, at their only meeting.
From 1891 to 1932, Magnetic served with White Star Line. On 3 October 1925 a fire broke out on board, and she was beached and later repaired at Liverpool. She was then sold by White Star in December 1932 to the Alexandra Towing Company, of Liverpool. Now renamed Ryde, she resumed her usual duties and was present at the opening of No.2 Stanlow Oil Dock in the Manchester Ship Canal in 1933. She was based at Llandudno from 1934, and was used as an excursion steamer. She was sold to ship breakers on 20 October 1935 and was scrapped at Port Glasgow.
