Life onboard a side
trawler was like no other!
A typical crew on a Granton/Leith side trawler was
12/13 men (crew size could depend on the fishing ground).
All would carry a Skipper; a Mate; a 2nd Fisherman
(known elsewhere as a 3rd hand/Bosun); Chief Engineer (Driver);
2nd engineer; Greaser (Fireman);
4 Deckhands (2
deckhand/trimmers); Cook; Gutter and a
deckie learner. (Steam trawler
equivalents in red)
After leaving the harbour a rota for watch keeping
would be put into place. The manning of these Steaming watches was
normally:-
Mate + Deckhand + Deckie Learner
2nd Fisherman + Deckhand
2 Deckhands (Skipper in attendance) *
Skipper, Mate and 2nd fisherman being certificated
watch keepers.
Engine Room: - Three
watches = Chief Engineer, 2nd Engineer and Greaser.
On most trawlers the Skipper, Mate and Chief
Engineer had a cabin to themselves. The rest of the crew shared a main cabin
under the galley (this held six to eight bunks) with a table in the middle of
the cabin surrounded by cushioned benches. A separate two man berth was usually
occupied by the cook and second engineer, some
trawlers had a couple of banks aft at deck level.
On steam trawlers there was usually accommodation for
eight under the forecastle, the Skipper, Mate and engineers all sleeping aft. It
was particularly uncomfortable forward in the forecastle as this took the brunt
of the waves. In those days few trawlers had forecastle decks or whalebacks to
break the force of the waves coming onboard. This also made life on deck
hazardous; the forecastle accommodation would get flooded out frequently in poor
weather. The only way aft from the forecastle to the mess deck or wheelhouse was
along the deck.
Beds (approx 180cms x 80cmsx80cms) on most trawlers
were nearly always damp and the cabin soon smelled of damp when the heating was
extinguished. The smell was at its worst on sailing days after everything had
been shutdown whilst in port. Mattresses known as “Donkeys
breakfasts” were stuffed with things like straw, kapoc and some were just a
block of foam. The crew slept with their clothes on, the stench could become
unbearable.
Empty bunks on a ship stripped ready for scrapping
Once the fishing grounds had been reached and the
net shot over the side the watch system changed.
The 2nd Fisherman was responsible for tying the
Cod-End and for controlling the winch when hauling and shooting assisted by the
Greaser.
The Greaser only went down the engine room to do
meal reliefs. He also looked after all on deck lubrication, of Sheaf's and
blocks.
The Gutter relieved the Skipper for his meals
(depending on shipping in the area). He was also responsible for looking after
the net store.
The net would be trawled along the sea bed for
between 1 - 4 hrs depending on the amount of fish being caught. Too much fish
could cause the cod end to chaff on the seabed and create a hole.
These trawling watches would be carried out by the
same people who did the steaming watches only one man to a watch.*
The length of this dependant on how much fish was
being caught. Sometimes the net was hauled again before gutting had finished,
the older fish being transferred to the other side of the deck. A man could wait
two days before he got his watch in.
After hauling in the net, the Cod End would be
emptied, re - tied and the net shot over the side again. (Prior to 1960'ish
trawlers had gallows, doors and nets on the Port side. This net would be shot if
the Starboard side was damaged.) The Starboard net would then be mended before
any fish were gutted.
Unlike other ports there were no set meal times in
Granton; cooks did a marvellous job to have the food ready as the men left the
deck. Cooks were very flexible and most even gave a hand at gutting during
periods of heavy fishing as did some engineers in their time off.
Typical side trawler galley stove (diesel fuelled) note clamps on pots for rough
weather
While the fish was being gutted and washed the Mate
would be in the fish room preparing ice and boxes for the fish. The 2nd
fisherman was left in charge of the deck in the Mates absence. Fish would be
gutted and placed into baskets depending upon size.
Haddocks = Zulicker, Jumbos, Large Haddock, Round
Small, Danny and Pipes the smallest at about 10.2 inches (1968)
Cod = Cod, Spraggs, Large Codling, Medium Codling
and Small Codling.
Most other fish were large, medium and small.
Once gutted the baskets of fish were washed by the
Deckie Learner and lowered by a rope and hooks by the Greaser into the fish room
were the Mate boxed and iced them according to size. If large fish were being
caught the 2nd Fisherman would assist the mate in the fish room.
The crews on steam trawlers did not have rubber gloves
available so in heavy fishing of “Spawny Huddies" many a man had very painful
and raw joints between the fingers, not unlike athletes foot.
Fishing trips would be on average 12 to 14 days and
16 days to Faeroe Islands
Steam
Trawlers carried extra coal on deck to ensure they had enough fuel; this would
be shovelled off the deck down the stokehold by the trimmers on the way out to
the fishing grounds.
On the steam trawlers the trimmers had to haul up
ashes from the boiler and tip them over the side on a daily basis.
This process of hauling, shooting and gutting would
be followed relentlessly 24/7 until it was time to head for home, the only break
coming if the skipper steamed to new a fishing area or the weather was too
bad for fishing. (Force 8 Gale)
The time left between finishing gutting and hauling
the net was all the sleep / free time a person had if not on watch.
On the way home weather permitting, nets would be
mended and got ready for the next trip, the ship would be scrubbed down from
stem to stern.
On arrival at Granton a berth would be allocated by
the Harbour Master. Once the ship had been cleared of Customs people could come
and go as they pleased. On the steam trawlers it was part of the crews duties
to land the fish and re - stock the ship for the next trip. In the later years
casual labour was employed by the fisherman @ £10/landing. The ship would have
her fresh water tanks filled while landing was taking place. The fish room
scrubbed out thoroughly and clean boxes placed on board, the ship moved to the
oil berth and the fuel tanks filled. Ice would be taken the day before sailing
On steam trawlers after landing they had to go to the bunkering berth, at the end of the Middle pier under the "Trouser Legs". These were two large steel tubes in the shape of a pair of trousers which were hoisted by crane to straddle the super structure of the trawler and allow the coal to be poured into the ship's bunkers on each side of the trawler from railway wagons on the pier. The wagons were lifted and turned upside down pouring the coal into a large hopper which fed a conveyor belt that took the coal up to the top of the trouser legs. As you can imagine there was coal dust everywhere. Each boat had to be booked in to "coal" so that the wagons could be shunted down to the coaling berth making the point of the pier a very busy place. Having coaled, the boat was washed down from stem to stern, the bunkers trimmed and the crew could then go home.
"Luffness" bunkering at the Trouser legs
Depending on how long you had been away would
govern how many days ashore you got.
Ten days or less = landing day + one clear day
(No settlement Pay)
Over ten days = landing day + settling
day + one clear day
Double landing = landing day + settling day(2
trips) + two clear days.
All other work carried out in harbour was done under
the command of the Ships Husband who allocated work to contractors and dealt
with re stocking the cook’s stores etc.
On sailing days the crews would come down to the
ship at about 10.00hrs and hang around chatting to friends from other trawlers.
Some would go for a last drink in The Tap (Granton
Tavern) the Ships Runner would spend half his time chasing these men down to the
boats.
The Ships Runner would have a couple of men on
pay to stand by and fill in at a minutes’ notice for anyone who did not show up.
Although most spent Christmas at sea all would be
home for the New Year festivities.
* Skippers cabin
and day room was attached to/under the Wheelhouse.