The ship lost in the Menai Strait on 14^th April 1953 was H.M.S. Nile, the third replacement 'HMS Conway'. Nile was the first to be launched of three Rodney Class 92 gun ships built in reply to the American 74's^{(The Ship of the Line)}. Work commenced on laying her keel in Plymouth Dockyard in October 1826, and she first took to the water on 28^th June 1830. (For her particulars see The Navy List XIII 1815 - 1845). Her history up until 23^rd June 1876 when she arrived on the Mersey never to sail again, on loan from the Admiralty to the Mercantile Marine Association (MMSA) as the future school cadet ship 'HMS Conway', is recorded in some detail at ..................................................................................................................

But this section is only concerned with how an irreplaceable national asset, entirely dependant upon tugs from Liverpool 55 miles away which were unaccustomed to narrow water towage,^{(note 12)} and which ship at 22 ft draft was significantly deeper than the prudent draft limit for the Menai Strait,^{(Analysys a)} came to be in the unlikely location where she was lost.

Fig. Left to Right. a) Main Deck, looking forward: At mealtimes the messdeck with stowaway tables and benches. Partitions which lowered from the deckhead converted it into classrooms during school hours. b) Starboard Gangway, Lower Deck. Daytime post of the officer of the watch and his entourage. Control point for arrivals and departures, and the hub of daytime activities. c) Lower Deck looking aft, with the Gunroom at the after end of the hatch. The hatch served as hammock stowage during the day