Wick fishing boats

[Amy-Winehouse]

What about the one where the WK boat had a disgusting water tank , with a fine rusty colour of water coming through so the cook decided to boil the mince with lemonade instead

Another story of a WK boat was when the crew needed to cut a bad bit of rope out then splice the 2 ends back together so that they could shoot the gear. Well none of the crew were much good at splicing so the Skipper obviously didnt trust them & asked for the ropes to be handed in the wheelhouse windows.
Only thing was, he was handed one end in the starboard window & one end through the forrad facing window !! He was halfway through splicing it when he realised what he was doing & went mental as his crew were ending themselves laughing at him

Another WK boat had a skipper who was noted for being a bookworm, of sorts, He would read his book no matter what but quite often hed get to the 4th last page only to find the rest of the book had strangely ripped out Not just the once either. The devils!!!

[Tighsonas4]

talking of smaller harbours our friend took the golden eagle into staxigoe on high tide . tied her up at the north side
the bairns were aboard puttting off flairs etc and he was telling what house to aim for he got one side painted and he had put an anchor out
when he decided to leave he couldnt get the anchor in so cut it adrift
and its there to this day tony

[Fisherbigin]

My brother says you missed out!!!
Copinsay!!!! Skaill Bay, The skerries, The Grandstand, The Noup, 16 miles the back of the sule, Suleskerry.
Smith Bank, Jocky Bhans, Jean Dugle , The Skater!!! The Skate hole , The sooth deeps, the cock, navidale hole,

in no particular order Im afraid- He says he was at Rockall & St.Kilda in bigger boats from elsewhere but [Copinsay was the one he dreaded the most- sma` haddies with their eyes no open yet!!"]

Absolute slaughter but the crack was pretty good, rather him than me

Wis all large haddies ye got at Coupinshaw

[Fisherbigin]

Fishing grunds at the westard,The Houp,Geo dick,Black hole,Sands,Scottigeo,The Banks,the Bocht,High dans,Dan Taylors,the Squeeze,the white rock,Hole o' Portskerra,Trinkie Sandside,Scullumie,Point o' Strathy,Blue mountain,Maggie Fleming, Cousea,North east corner o' Stormy,Grandstand,stoolie,stook,close up to the Sule,shaal o' the Sule,the stack,Gaza strip,Nun bank,solan bank,whiten head bank,Smasher,the poles the Black o'whiten Hd,islands,Naver,Armadale,the bankie, the tackets,cnoc na fiddoch,go west to the mooth o' the loch,Smoo,Balnakiel,shepherds bay and the Staigs at the Cape

[bonami]

Aye Captain Swanson was certainly a character but as was said earlier wasnt a bad sort and personally I found him very interesting and a clever man.He was a excellant navigator in fog. There is another story of him fishing Rackwick in the company of 3 or 4 other boats when thick fog came down the Good Hope was one and the only one with radar fitted. He called up the rest of the boats and suggested they follow him home they all did except Capt Swanson who stated he had no need to follow anyone. He then had another tow and when the rest of the boats got to Wick they found him at the mart landing his fish. Another time he was at Whiten Hd at a small bight I cant remember the name off . Star o Peace was allready shot and hauled his codend aboard empty. Gleaners shot his net that close he could nearly put codend on the beach and hauled aboard 40 boxes of jumbo haddocks of course that was him off home to mother Mackays a place he was very fond off. He certainly knew his job but was a bit to keen on the amber liquid in his later years.

[peter macdonald]

I only really got to know Captain Swanson in his later years..but as has been said he was a very smart cookie , .When trying to pick up a dahn in showery misty weather without any electronic aids it must have been like trying to find a moving needle in a moving haystack
Amazing skill the old guys had which I dont think people ever really appreciated . Unfortunately I can only think of a couple of skippers left now who worked clock and compass ..there must be a heck of a lot of knowledge in the cemetry
PM

[Tighsonas4]

he had his good points too. there was one time for some reason he was told to dump his fish
he said dump nothing get a old lorry here load it and take half to staxigoe and a half to ackergill and tell the villiagers to help themselves
beel dunnet obliged and was told where to leave it tony

[Tighsonas4]

DANNY ALEXANDERS BOATS
can anyone fill in the blanks
VENUS WK33 BUILT FOR MCKAYS OF DUNBEATH SOLD TO STROMNESS 1959 AND THEN ???
fsher boy wk150built for bremners of wick lost at thurso 1949
GIRL MINA WK172 BUILT FOR STEWARTS WICK SOLD TO SANDAY NOW BROKEN UP
PENTLAND SWELL WK353 BUILT FOR THURSO FISH SELLIING CO BECAME MAYFLOWER FR210 IN FRASERBURGH THEN ???
ROYAL BURGH WK 561 BUILT FOR WILLIAM SHEARER SOLD TO MCDUFF THEN BACK TO LYBSTER AS DEVERSONSIDE WK176 THEN TO ULLAPOOL ?????
GOOD HOPE WK 209 BUILT FOR DONN LATHERONWHEEL SOLD TO FLEETWOOD NOW LYING DERLICT
FISHER BOY WK 150 BUILT FOR BREMNERS WICK LOST BRIMS NESS1953
TWO BOYSWK151 BUILT FOR PLOWMAN WENT TO THURSO THEN IRELAND IN1960 THEN ????
ENTERPRISE WK 229 BUILT FOR J ROSIE KEISS SUNK OFF NOSS HEAD 1975
OCEAN SWELL WK 23 BUILT FOR BAIN WICK SOLD TO LOSSIE AS OSPREY INS 142 THEN ???
GOLDEN DAWN WK 173 BUILT FOR ADAMSON WICK SOLD TO IRELAND AND???
GOLDEN CHANCE WK22 FOR GILBERT REID THURSO SOLD TO MARYPORT BROKEN UP RECENTLY
ANY ONE KNOW THE ONES IN QUESTION REGARDS TONY

[jock leith]

To all the wonderful Orgers who have made this such a nostalgic walk down memory lane I would like to Wish each and every one of you

ALL THE VERY BEST FOR A QUIET AND PEACEFULL XMAS AND GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS FOR 2009

Jock Leith

[peter macdonald]

Pentland Swell then Mayflower FR210 left the fishing industry in 1972 The Golden Dawn went to Northern Ireland ..The Two Boys went to Eire after John Macleod (cowg) died
William James Coull had her just before she left Thurso in 1960

Jock Keep well and have a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and the family
PM

[Tighsonas4]

thanks for setting this agoing jock
and will now wish you and yours all the very best over the festive season and for 2009
and the same to you pm tony

[domino]

This was one of the best threads so I wish all contributers a very merry christmas and all the best for the coming year and I hope they keep them coming!!

[Margaret M.]

I don't know diddly about fishing boats but this is a super thread -- really interesting.

[peter macdonald]

Ocean Swell after she left lossie became a houseboat in SE England possibly Burnham on Crouch

Many thanks Jock for getting this going and best wishes to Tony and all who read and write on here
PM

[Amy-Winehouse]

An0other bit of fishing ground we missed out was the Riddles (how could we???) Also Spittal Hill was another favoiurite.

As for the Stack Rock, she is on the Tyne as a houseboat , or so im told- hope this helps, I was sent a pic of her but old Wiseman would turn in his grave if he seen her now!!!

[peter macdonald]

Amy ..one I forgot about from Helmsdale ..The Enterprise 2 that Neil Mackay had in the 1960s WK319 She was bought from Stornaway 12.12.64 and was sold to Belfast 21.9.67
Owners H T and N Mackay she was built in Fraserburgh in 1940 50ft loa 20.95 Tonns Gross and Nett
There was one called the Kitty Mackay which may interest you WK357 LOA 36ft Keel 32 ft Beam 12 ft 9.33 Tonns gross and Nett Built in Banff in 1921 ex Snowdrop BF 493 Owned bt T J and G Mackay from 1/2/29 until 25.10.40 when she was sold to Peterhead

All best
PM

[jock leith]

Peter someone e-mailed me recently and asked about Jonners Sinclair and the little crab boats he owned,I had a quick look through the thread but did not see his boats mentioned.Do you know the names of any of his boats.
??? Would they be big enough to warrant registration ???
Regards JL

[sandyr]

Just a thought........ Was having lunch one day overlooking the harbour in Toronto, Ontario and spotted what looked like the bow and wheel house of a traditional Wick/ Lybster fishing boat...(Was born and brought up in Lybster).
So I investigated and found .....now I think a 1940's.. 60+ or - footer which was gaff rigged...mast and brown sails docked at the waterfront. Rather a strange sight especially when everything else was exotic.....e.g. 30-65' newer power boats... Donzi cigarette boat,
Carver power boats and the like.
Eventually I spoke with the owner....Built I think on the North East Coast of Scotland, went to Holland and there was rigged with the mast, then sailed to the eastern Seaboard of Canada/ Thence thru the Great Lkes to lake Ontario. The owner spent several years re-doing the inside and then put it in the water...fresh water and it started leaking like a sieve.So he had it dry docked and basically replace some planks and have the(packing) done again...
So I asked him how he was able to get rid of the fish smell and his reply....That was dealt with by the smell of diesel! Kinda nice inside altho quite rough. Was going to follow his journey but lost him. He did say that he needed a gale to move him and the 'thing' went sideways...No keel! And was going round the World.....nearly joined him!

[peter macdonald]

Jock
Off the top of my head ...The Be in Time ,the Westering, Gril Mina (ex Lybster one)
Johners had the Ebeneezer and I think the Glad Tidings at the seine net as well as one which was never in WK registration (I think) Golden Strand? If I get a chance later in the week Ill check it out
They were all registered if used commercially for fishing .eg Be In Time was WK430
He was also emergency coxswain of Wick Lifeboat
PM

[peter macdonald]

www.wkboats.co.uk