The Fleetwood Motor Trawler Site Part of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust

I did my first trip in Fleetwood as a galley boy on the Wyre Vanguard. It was unusual in those days (1961/2) for an out of towner to be a fisherman. I was from Radcliffe north of Manchester, and ran away to sea at 15 years of age. I had to first do my deep sea fishing training with Bill Carruthers at the fishing school on the docks. The training was mainly for non Fleetwood people, and they came from all over Lancashire. I do have a photo from within the school when we were learning knots.

We lived in the deep sea fishermans mission on dock st. Thats where I got my first tattoo, and had to have a gold earring in my right ear before going to sea. It was good luck for the ship to have its youngest member wear an earring in the right ear (so I was told???)

After a couple of trips as Galley boy, i went through the ropes as Brassy, quarter half and into full decky. This was a bit unusual for a none Fleety…and bloody hard going. I lasted for a couple of years at this, eventually the sea sickness got the better of me, and I joined the merchant Navy out of Manchester.

I wonder if anyone remembers the training school on the docks, and Bill Carruthers?

Many years later, I look back on the discipline and lessons I learned at sea, especially on the different trawlers, and never regretted a minute of it (apart from sea sickness of course, always fixed up with cooks greasy bacon butty)

I hope my memories come in handy. I also have a half model of the Boston Seafoam, which I commissioned later in life. Its travelled round the world with me, and is now in my office in Australia!!

John Bradshaw

Below are some images John has been kind enough to send to me including 2 images of the half model of the Boston Seafoam.

John Bradshaw's Training Certificate

John's Service Book

A page from Johns service book, The number 125 indicates days at sea towards your decky days

John Bradshaw

Finally John's pride and joy. His model of the Boston Seafoam

A closer view of the Boston Seafoam model John built.

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Posted under Trawler Tales

My name is Neville McCrindle and I was fortunate to experience fishing for hoki in the Cook Strait in New Zealand, on the Sarfaq. Ex - Argo of Pembroke M74.

I had been beam trawling from Newlyn and was thoroughly disenchanted with the job. It was more like farming than fishing, I was used to bottom, pelagic and pair trawling in my native Firth of Clyde and missed the excitement of big hauls.

The hoki fishery in the Cook Straits was awesome. The Sarfaq was well equipped with modern integrated Furuno equipment. You could overlay the radar onto the plotter etc.

Rapp Hydema Auto trawl was fitted and this proved invaluable whist trawling up and down the two main “Canyons” in the Straits, the Cook and the Nicholson.

The Hoki used to frequent the edges of peaks and to see the individual winches paying out and hauling in at the same time was very strange to see.

The overly large forward superstructure was a nightmare when getting alongside in Wellington, once the wind took her it was frightening. She rolled like a pig in the unforgiving seas in the Straits as well !!

We did make headline news once, in the Wellington newspapers when we caught a Greenland “Sleeper” shark among a haul of Hoki, very rare in Southern Hemisphere.

It’s rather sad to see that she is now an artificial reef, but she had a long and varied career.

Best regards
Neville McCrindle

Images of the Sarfaq

Sarfaq - Courtesy of Neville McCrindle

Sarfaq in Wellington - Courtesy of Neville McCrindle

Sarfaq Deck View - Courtesy of Neville McCrindle

Sarfaq from Astern - Courtesy of Neville McCrindle

Sarfaq in Wellington - Courtesy of Neville McCrindle

I would like to thank Neville McCrindle for sharing his memories of the Sarfaq and his photos.

Alan Duggan

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Posted under Trawler Tales

Hours before the launch of the Fleetwood Trawler Maretta FD245 it was noticed that the name painted on the bows was NARETTA not MARETTA, with time so short only the incorrect name facing the dignitaries was altered.

I’ve cut and enlarged both port and starboard names and blown them up, shows up well even the strange M.

This image shows the quick fix that was applied minutes befor the launch.

This image shows the side not on show at the launch that was left spelt as Naretta

Launch of the Maretta FD245

Images and information courtesy of Bill Blow and Richard Winfield of Cleethorpes

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Posted under Trawler Tales