The Very Early Days of Trawling at Granton & Leith
Sailing trawler towing a Beam Trawl (broadside to the wind)
The original trawlers were sail powered vessels which towed a small net along
the sea bed. The larger the vessel the larger the net, this was named the Beam
Trawl.
Beam Trawl
This trawl consisted of a 50 to 60ft large wooden beam which had iron runners at
each end that kept the beam 2 or 3 ft above the seabed. The trawl its self is
just a large tapered bag approx 40ft long with a knot in the end to release the
catch (Cod End). The top of this trawl is attached to the beam and the bottom
weighed down with a heavy leaded rope to keep the net open. This is attached to
a hawser (warp) and towed along the seabed approx 20 to 40 fathoms below the
trawler; the net is towed at a reduced speed and is left down for 3 to 4 hrs.
The iron runners would churn up the sea bed driving the fish, mostly flatfish
into the trawl. It was reported even way back then that these trawlers were
destroying the sea bed. This net with its single hawser would be hauled using a
capstan.
Hauling
a beam trawl with a steam
capstan (C) Unknown
With advent of steam engines some of these vessels were fitted with a small
boiler to power a steam capstan to make hauling less labour intensive and safer.
This also led to the use of steam powered ships being engaged by many to carry
the "boxed fish" transferred daily from the sail vessels to the market, allowing
these sail vessels to maximise their time on the fishing grounds. This became
known as the Boxing Fleet system.
Mostly steam
powered vessels were used as tugs in the early years to tow the sailing vessels
in and out of port when the weather was calm.
It was in 1877 one of these paddle tug owners (William Purdy of North Shields
and his vessel “Messenger”)
who having towed a vessel into port with his net down struck on the idea of
towing a net while searching off
the Tyne for towage work.
Steam had arrived and the face of
the British fishing industry would changed forever.