M.F.V. Forards – FD200
Fleetwood Trawler – Forards FD200
Official Number: 301882
Gross Tonnage: 72
Net Tonnage:
Length: 22.55 m
Breadth: 6 m
Depth: 2.62 m
Engine: Lister Blackstone EVSM4, 264 bhp
Built: 1960 by Fairmile Construction Co. Ltd, Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Yard Number: B517
Owner: J N Ward & Son Ltd
History
Information courtesy of Gil Mayes
1960: Registered at Fleetwood from new as Forards FD200.
1978: Sold to Robert Palmer, Portavogie and registration transferred to Belfast as B300.
9th January 2001: Ceased Fishing B300 registration closed.
August 2007: Seen laid up at Buncranna.
Images
Forards FD200
Forards laid up at Buncranna - Picture courtesy of John Baird
Forards laid up at Buncranna - Pictures courtesy of John Baird
My late father Vincent (Vinnie) Lahiff was engineer on the Forards from 1972 – 1978.
My own expereince was going to sea on a trip with my father as a school boy during the summer holdays in 1974 fishing the Irish sea and spending time in Ramsey Isle of Man when the weather got to rough. Memorable times.
I joined skipper Ronnie Hagan,in 1986, fishing for prawns in the Irish sea out of Portavogie aged 16.
John Mcmaster,his brother Robbie and Davy Hunter,where very tolorent of the newbie on deck,and i owe them a lot.
Just remember “east is least, west is best,up south and down north,and ya wont go far wrong,John would say going to the ground!!!
Being my first boat,it took a little bit of time for me to gain my sealegs,and for the first few months the crew on board where running a book on me ,as to how long this city slicker from Belfast would last.
The “Forards” at the time was red,and powered by an 8 cylinder 230Hp gardiner engine.
If memory serves correct she only turned 900 revs flat out,and had very little oil pressure,consequently it seized and blew the dipstick out of the hole and stuck it to the underside of the deck one tuesday morning while heading for Ronnies favourite,,,,the f & f off the “Calf of Man.”
She was re-engined with a Catapiller,and 10 weeks later was rigged for the clams,with a different skipper and crew….
Twelve years i fished out of Portavogie on various trawlers.I loved it ,but the life is hard on the family at home.
Seeing the pics brought the happy memories flooding back…..Cheers…!