On Friday 3 December 1909, Ellan Vannin left her home port of Ramsey at 01:13hrs, under the command of her Master, 37 year old Captain James Teare, who had some 18 years of experience working his way through the company to the position of Master.
During the summer of 1909 Teare was in command of the King Orry and had only joined the Ellan Vannin the day before her ill-fated voyage.
Captain Teare was married with four children.

Ellan Vannin was carrying 15 passengers and 21 crew as well as mail and 60 tonnes of cargo which included approximately 60 sheep.

The weather on departure was moderate and although the barometric pressure was falling the captain did not expect a significant deterioration in the weather.
The wind direction on departure was from the northwest meaning the Ellan Vannin would have a following sea during her passage – something which would have caused her master no particular concern.
However, the weather rapidly worsened and by 06:35hrs, when the ship arrived at the Mersey Bar lightship, the wind had risen to a Hurricane Force 12, and waves were reported to be exceeding 24 feet (7 m) in height.

A strong consensus at the time was that with a following sea the Ellan Vannin had made good time to the Bar Lightship.
Upon reaching the Bar her course would have been changed from approximately 130 degrees to 080 degrees as she entered the approach channel to the river.
This would have caused her to take the sea on her port beam with the result that she got sufficiently off her course to strike a sandbank thereby causing her to founder  between the Bar lightship and the Q1 buoy, sinking in the Mersey approach channel (at 53°32′0″N 3°17′0″W).
It is believed she was broached by a large wave, which overwhelmed the ship.
She was swept by heavy seas and filled, sinking by the stern with the loss of all passengers and crew.


News of the disaster reached Douglas on the Friday evening, and the directors sat in almost continuous session until Monday.
Communication was by telegram and information was difficult to ascertain.

At approximately 19:00hrs a telegram was received which reported that the crew of the Formby Lightship had seen lifebuoys, bags of turnips, several dead sheep and a piano floating near the lightship.
It was also reported that the crew of the lightship had picked up a mail bag which was destined for the Birkenhead Post Office and which was found to contain letters despatched from Ramsey.

The following morning the company offices in Douglas received a telegram from Liverpool stating that one of the Ellan Vannin's lifeboats had been washed ashore at New Brighton with its cover on and its working gear inside.
Also washed ashore were parts of the ship's bridge.

On Saturday morning Tynwald departed Douglas in order to replace the Fenella on the Douglas – Liverpool service, with the Fenella in turn taking the sailing to Ramsey which should have been undertaken by the Ellan Vannin.

It was five days after the ship went down that the first bodies were recovered.
In January 1910, Teare's body was found washed ashore on Ainsdale beach in Southport.
It was subsequently returned to the Isle of Man for burial.
On Friday 3 December 1909, Ellan Vannin left her home port of Ramsey at 01:13hrs, under the command of her Master, 37 year old Captain James Teare, who had some 18 years of experience working his way through the company to the position of Master. During the summer of 1909 Teare was in command of the King Orry and had only joined the Ellan Vannin the day before her ill-fated voyage. Captain Teare was married with four children.
Ellan Vannin was carrying 15 passengers and 21 crew as well as mail and 60 tonnes of cargo which included approximately 60 sheep.
The weather on departure was moderate and although the barometric pressure was falling the captain did not expect a significant deterioration in the weather. The wind direction on departure was from the northwest meaning the Ellan Vannin would have a following sea during her passage – something which would have caused her master no particular concern. However, the weather rapidly worsened and by 06:35hrs, when the ship arrived at the Mersey Bar lightship, the wind had risen to a Hurricane Force 12, and waves were reported to be exceeding 24 feet (7 m) in height.
A strong consensus at the time was that with a following sea the Ellan Vannin had made good time to the Bar Lightship. Upon reaching the Bar her course would have been changed from approximately 130 degrees to 080 degrees as she entered the approach channel to the river. This would have caused her to take the sea on her port beam with the result that she got sufficiently off her course to strike a sandbank thereby causing her to founder  between the Bar lightship and the Q1 buoy, sinking in the Mersey approach channel (at 53°32′0″N 3°17′0″W). It is believed she was broached by a large wave, which overwhelmed the ship. She was swept by heavy seas and filled, sinking by the stern with the loss of all passengers and crew.

News of the disaster reached Douglas on the Friday evening, and the directors sat in almost continuous session until Monday. Communication was by telegram and information was difficult to ascertain. 
At approximately 19:00hrs a telegram was received which reported that the crew of the Formby Lightship had seen lifebuoys, bags of turnips, several dead sheep and a piano floating near the lightship. It was also reported that the crew of the lightship had picked up a mail bag which was destined for the Birkenhead Post Office and which was found to contain letters despatched from Ramsey.
The following morning the company offices in Douglas received a telegram from Liverpool stating that one of the Ellan Vannin's lifeboats had been washed ashore at New Brighton with its cover on and its working gear inside. Also washed ashore were parts of the ship's bridge.
On Saturday morning Tynwald departed Douglas in order to replace the Fenella on the Douglas – Liverpool service, with the Fenella in turn taking the sailing to Ramsey which should have been undertaken by the Ellan Vannin.
It was five days after the ship went down that the first bodies were recovered. In January 1910, Teare's body was found washed ashore on Ainsdale beach in Southport. It was subsequently returned to the Isle of Man for burial.
SS Ellan Vannin (1883)