A Five Minute Task ...but it took a lifetime and more.

Inasmuch as my original intention started out simply to record details of the boats which linked my family connection to fishing, it became somewhat bogged down with the innumerable changes of vessel Name's, Ports, Owners and eventual demise of these craft it became quite obvious that the cold and indifferent list of particulars forming part of this work would make rather fatuous reading and could not be logically presented without associating some informational knowledge regarding the men who made these trawlers a reality, the crew, shore support staff and so many others dependant and depending on the success of such ventures which like most things progressed from relatively small beginnings to become a major business in the national economy. Therefore my story spread further a field to include a little bit of insight to the broad outline of what goes on behind the scenes - when someone goes into a fishmonger to buy a pound of nice fresh fish fillet, do they ever imagine the real effort or cost expended to get it there in the first place!.

Subsequently, before memories became dimmed by the passage of time, it seemed right to jot down what I saw of the part played by steam fishermen during one of the peaks of the industrial graph, prior to its demise, through being replaced by a modern diesel powered fleet. I do not claim that this narrative provides a serious contribution to social history surrounding the fishing industry although in many respects the domestic side of these men does come through in so far as the long periods of time they spent away from home and their families. In describing the time engaged fishing and being associated with the industry I have kept as close as possible to those matters with which I was involved personally in a hands-on situation, and many aspects related though family ownership of many steam trawlers, and whilst my main task set out to record and concentrate upon the boats rather than the crews who sailed in them, it is impossible to mention one and not the other, equally the many support staff, without their continued services, all activity would soon have come to a halt.

Sea fishing has been pursued since biblical times, and who knows for how long before, this narrative has moved on in time to cover a period circa 1870 to 1970, and is primarily concerned with steam trawlers although to keep the story in perspective other aspects of the fishing industry have been incorporated in a simplified way, space limitations dictate a certain amount of restraint detailing any particular department. It is unlikely that many readers can lay claim to have sailed and worked with a somewhat ageing fleet of - mostly - coal burning steam trawlers, during the immediate post war years of the 1940's (my old Granddad used to say during the war, 'it might not be very pleasant to be engaged in mine sweeping but it does give the fish a chance to grow), he, being an ex trawler skipper and owner perhaps did have a somewhat biased interest.

Over more years than I care to remember one of my personal pursuits has been to research and gather, often unwittingly, much and such information about the subject which has mentally driven me to learn more, while researching I referred, consulted and made use of a wide range of books, newspapers and other publications as well as personal recollections of many friends, relatives and colleagues who had sailed in these vessels or had been directly associated in a support capacity. Very many years ago I set out to trace the details of an old steam trawler at one time owned by my grandfather, it was depicted as a painting on, of all things, a round wooden bread board, given to me because I liked it, the outside edge had been carved to represent a piece of rope, I regret now in not having had the fore-sight to keep such a gem, the boat had a fore-sail and mainsail, an open bridge, with some further research I managed to trace the history of this steam trawler which had originated from Aberdeen and became the Granton registered Strathspey, GN15/1894, but the knowledge how to go about such a task resulted in chasing my own tail..