Wick fishing boats

[peter macdonald]

Ive read the Receiver of Wrecks report on the loss of the Pursuit WK69 on the Rabbit Islands and that looks like the boat in question !!!! It did say that James Derby Swanson was skipper She built Sandhaven 1932 Sunk 18/1/1951 at Tongue LOA 52.1 ft B 15.9 ft D 5.4 ft Tonnage G and N 20.40 Tons She was BCK125 came to WK registry on 24/10/1946
All best
PM

[Tighsonas4]

Ive read the Receiver of Wrecks report on the loss of the Pursuit WK69 on the Rabbit Islands and that looks like the boat in question !!!! It did say that James Derby Swanson was skipper She built Sandhaven 1932 Sunk 18/1/1951 at Tongue LOA 52.1 ft B 15.9 ft D 5.4 ft Tonnage G and N 20.40 Tons She was BCK125 came to WK registry on 24/10/1946
All best
PM

that could be it peter james derby was nums brother they said he went back on board as there was STOKER in a drawer and he just got off when she slipped off tony

[John Flett]

Been following this thread with great interest and nostalgia. Readers may be interested in the long journey of one of the Wick fleet. In 1958 we bought the Starlight from Lossiemouth (built 1933 by John Dunn of Lossie) for £1,250.00. When I left Wick in 1961 it was sold and converted into a motor yacht in Suffolk. In 2004 the same Starlight, with the same 95 Gardner engine, was for sale in Malta. Asking price £125,000.00!! It is amazing how age adds value to life.

[TBH]

How about it Peter, compile all that knowledge and preserve it in words.
You will be well supported in such a venture.

[John Flett]

Filling in some gaps.
I seem to recall that there was an earlier Bluebell in Wick in the late 1940s?

The Atalanta was in Wick in 1955/56. I was on board for a week in December 1955 before I joined the Enterprise. Alistair Budge was the skipper, Sandy Stewart was on board but I cannot recall the name of the third crewman.

Wick Heritage Museum has an interesting film of the Morina laying on nets and sailing on what was thought to be the last recorded herring fishing trip from Wick.

[peter macdonald]

John Yes there was an earlier Bluebell ,I also forgot about the Pearl and just looking at the Scrabster Thurso list Ive left out the Vine and Crissy all of which Ive researched recently
Old age Im afraid
PM

[Mizpah]

This has been one of the best threads on the org. and really stretches the memory but it has just crossed my mind that nothing has been said about a very brave set of fishernen who went to sea from Wick namely those who followed the handline fishing in their small boats, there was the Ruby, Pansy, Fruitful and others whose boats I cannot remember the name.

[Tighsonas4]

This has been one of the best threads on the org. and really stretches the memory but it has just crossed my mind that nothing has been said about a very brave set of fishernen who went to sea from Wick namely those who followed the handline fishing in their small boats, there was the Ruby, Pansy, Fruitful and others whose boats I cannot remember the name.

can rember the handline boats fishing off shore.there was one had a red sail seems it was some mannie wattand you could always spot him
having said that some of the fisherman mentioned here had been at the handlines
num was a crack hand at taking bearings of the land at this side
places like hilti head off noss and the like
there was always a good price for handline fish there was quite often a halibut or a turbot landed too tony

[Tighsonas4]

canna go through all this again but was the el alemein mentioned[smithy ]
they had some disasters in her time tony

[Heri]

Been following this thread with great interest and nostalgia. Readers may be interested in the long journey of one of the Wick fleet. In 1958 we bought the Starlight from Lossiemouth (built 1933 by John Dunn of Lossie) for £1,250.00. When I left Wick in 1961 it was sold and converted into a motor yacht in Suffolk. In 2004 the same Starlight, with the same 95 Gardner engine, was for sale in Malta. Asking price £125,000.00!! It is amazing how age adds value to life.

Well, she didn't sell for that much, but I did buy her last year. She's still in Malta and looking as pretty as ever. Do you have any more details on the conversion, the owners that did the conversion, the architect involved or the yard? Thanks.

[peter macdonald]

Sorry Heri I dont have any details of her conversion Perhaps John Flett may know a bit more if you PM him . I saw the Starlight on the net recently and she looks beautiful Congratulations on the job you are doing in maintaining her
PM

[peter macdonald]

Ive read the Receiver of Wrecks report on the loss of the Pursuit WK69 on the Rabbit Islands and that looks like the boat in question !!!! It did say that James Derby Swanson was skipper She built Sandhaven 1932 Sunk 18/1/1951 at Tongue LOA 52.1 ft B 15.9 ft D 5.4 ft Tonnage G and N 20.40 Tons She was BCK125 came to WK registry on 24/10/1946
All best
PM

Tony Just noticed a typo in there ..The Pursuit was WK160