In the winter of the year 1865 the Rodwell had lain up, undergoing repairs, and then the discovery was made that her condition was far from satisfactory. Many of her plates were no thicker than brown-paper, and just at the bends aft the point of a scraper had absolutely gone through a plate.
The boilers, too, were found to be in an unsatisfactory condition, and the machinery needed thorough overhauling.
But they wanted the boat for the summer traffic, and had no time to get all she required done before the fine weather; so she was patched for the time, the intention being to lay her up the following autumn and put her in good repair; in the meantime one new boiler was to be made for her.
Towards the middle of April she began running as usual with passengers between Daneford and Seacliff.
On her third trip she broke down; something went wrong with her machinery, and she had to be towed into Seacliff by another steamer.
As this accident occurred early in the season there were few passengers, and little excitement arose from the circumstance.
Almost the whole trade of the Rodwell consisted of carrying seaside folk from Daneford to Seacliff and back again. She sailed every week-day of the season from Seacliff to Daneford at half-past seven in the morning, and from Daneford to Seacliff at half-past six in the afternoon. Many of the business men of the city kept their families all the season at Seacliff, they themselves coming and going between the little town and the city daily, and enjoying the advantages of sleeping in sea-freshened air and two bright pleasant sails of a couple of hours each in the day.
When, in overhauling the Rodwell in 1865, they found the boilers in not a satisfactory condition, they took off five pounds of steam. "Better to be sure than sorry," they said. This reduction of steam made the Rodwell slower in 1866 than in previous years.
On Tuesday, the 14th of August, 1866, the engineer of the Rodwell made a report to the owners, and was directed to work her at another five pounds' reduction of pressure.
When Grey advanced the five thousand pounds on the mortgage he made no enquiry into her condition. He knew the boat very well, had many times travelled by her between Daneford and Seacliff. He knew she was worth more than the money asked for, and as no mortgage existed upon her he felt he should be quite secure if the company ensured her, and handed him a policy for five thousand pounds. His position was that if the company did not pay the interest on his money and his money itself, ultimately he could seize the Rodwell; and if the steamboat were lost by any chance of wind or water he should get his money from the insurance company.