Welcome to the Seafood Matters podcast, a voice for the UK fishing industry.
I'm your host, Jim Cowie. Having over sixty years hands on experience in
the seafood industry. I've owned fishing boats, processed and exported fish and auctioned
fish, and numerous fish markets. Over the last twenty years, I've been
the owner chef of the highly awarded Captain's Galley Seafood restaurant in Scrabstead in the
far north of Scotland. Now it's time to introduce you to fishermen, seafood
chefs, fishery scientists and industry leaders that I have worked with along the way.
That's an Astorian books and belonging to stay. We've watched the new harbor
getting built in boats sort of a few boats about any timely. I can
remember maybe about one hundred people in the island, but there was four hundred
and ninety five in the late nineteenth century. Four hundred eighth it's just short
of four hundred, and I don't know how they must have made a living
from the code or the fishing or whatever. They were catching a lowful lot
of cold. My grandfather's landed his fish twice, ay, maybe thirty one
hundred due tell a code. They doing that twice a d you know,
there's just no moment. The love of them. Well, they sought that
a lot of them and they were away to London or Orney wherever gym.
Either there's Orkney shops and never mind them come in, but there's floating shops
coming. They throw them up for more. They played strows, and they
swopped the fish for the lobsters, for groceries and whatever, you know,
eggs, and they could barterer with you for a hen's meal and clothes,
and that used to float and to throw on just anchor up one. Then
we're saying one at the south saying they go week about their month. Whatever
the game. I thought it was only the one that. No, there's
one at the north end. Two. God, there replete a boats there
too. The lighthouse beer, what was it ever classed? That was the
island? The only Caithness Island's in it. It's the only Caithness island.
What is what is storma stand for storma stands it's north for island in the
tide, the island and the tide. Let's see, Oh my god,
it's all Norse. Names. There's two names of Stroma and nobody could tell
me where they came from. They were like a gallic scare gut and it's
spelt like the gallic scare gut is one that's at the northeast corner and the
o there is a scare gut A sorry, it's scarbyan you know thet there
whatever, it's a scare gup is a bit of grind between the were Saint
Pierre and the northeast corner and the other one the scare me and that's a
wee rock at the at the corner there you see you from the mainland there.
But that's the only two names that everyone else is an orthtrick possible quality
like whale you. And it's funny that there's garlic. Nobody thought it wasn't
it was connected. Nobody's every thinks it's not connected to the garlic at all
for some reason. That that's the only two names are lake at the eye
and you went to school there. I went to school there and then I
went to high school and gym. I three years there. But there's one
of my teacher in storm. I was an auntie and there was my father
and five sisters who were all all the teachers. There are all teachers in
teach shape who were in the high, high school and social here, and
they were taught down and Glasgow wherever. You know. The youngest one would
say, Diny, she was a teacher in Dunbeast for a lot of years,
retired there as you taught years and years and dumbastic, They're all he
must have growing up with your father family. And sure there must have been
a great knowledge just built in with the tides and oh there's you know,
I thinks you're handed down. I'm sure for hundreds of years. Yeah,
hundreds of years. GM. I mean I know myself, don't I when
I'm just going to book my day depending on different parts of the situations that
you're in. Yeah, with the sky, h I'm seventy four shortly,
and I still would say that anything that I when I'm looking at us planet
or stars or anything connected with Naviga sing like that, it's my father at
from Oh it's all handed doing that, honestly, Thank god they did a
great knowledge of it. We got to we were done at head one night.
We used to fish done a head a lot, and we were coming
home in the pogue and the polue came down before we got home. So
we went to Harror Harbor at Flow the castle and meet we harbor in there.
We to go in there att ten o'clock at night because we couldn't see
the island where we came to. And there wait till four in the morning
to the daylight came back and then we're left to itself. Thick bog alber
head was a compass. We found ourselves home then in the morning at four
o'clock. But my mother she was stuck on Stroma on her own at a
stage, and she didn't know we downed or where the eight way where she
was. She was there on her own and we were in another. Wee
harbored and couldn't get home. You know. It was that is It was
a lot a lot of people lost. No religion there was they not.
There was four for us lost at the going to the they were found they
head of Whiskey still customs command caught them taking the court and ority and the
four of them were drowned going to the court. The gale get up.
Now. The other one was the board of Duncan's Way. There were three
men lost. There were one was sixteen year old, like they were.
The story goes they were racing home, but they had landed up on the
board of Duncan's Way and they were drowned. There there's a boat an engine
that the boat was picked up the next morning of Duncan's wayhead. He was
before the engine had rumbled out through the botman here she was slow and then
we know votman a row engine. That's the only deaths that I remember.
There's a a fishing boat lost the Pentan Scaries, but his neighbor picked him
up. And you know what happened it It took a wee roll. It's
so full of cord. They took a wee roll and shipped the water and
the boat sank, and the other boat picked them up and landed them on
the pent And Scaries and the light escape keepers gave them dry clothes and they
got into the other boat. All butt home in the one boat. But
they lost the boat. Like a load of code. There wasn't there was
very few people they lost an eb scene like now, it's amazing because you're
saying that it was the strongest currents in the world almost it's the Navy recorded
for I remember them sense about fourteen to fifteen knots between the lighthouse at straw
On a swelky point and the lights on swown up on the dark tale there
just out in the in the middle there there's fourteen or fifteen knots at tide
and it's just it's horendous. They can't. I've heard boats trying to go
through the first and no movie. It's a day so and stop that carry
on. But I mean, that's that's fast, that's that's a fast.
That's fast. But I'm wondering for terrible, terrible. I went round the
lights who were down with the lifeboat looking for auble. It broke them down
and it had gone right through and it and the payment scaries eventually, but
we were doing thirty one notes going around the lightless. The boat was doing
nineteen. But there's another toil then and they with a cover of the video
thirty one tiger poles are passing teeth and there was a boat a shure there
boats there was at boats, Jim, I was no cargo ship or something.
Oh here that was later on after they that day, Betina Danaka,
that's the story was it. He fell asleep and he was right up the
back of Strow and that's how he's heading out the way from it when he
he hit the tab at the southwest corner there three years old up boat.
I mean, it's obviously given you a colossal knowledge based on on the tides
of that, because I've been a long time in Scamster as well, and
I know i've been there for man. Yes, yes, when they would
call you and ask you going through the things that must be such a dangerous
there's sometimes to call me up and they say it's it's kind of rock should
be going through Scott up going through boys tider to keep going through the other
end. You know, they around the south end of either doesn't make a
difference which way they go with different they're looking for a better passage to a
watherygeon. That's you know it can be. Can you get better passages going?
Usually you had to back in the place he went the guy dear,
dear. I quite often seen boats when they're going west. I'll be right
close into the it's close into the coast. Is that it's far more the
advantageous to go to the Aliot Soroma. There's no tide here. It's going
the other way with you there you breaks on the island and it's there's no
tide inside there at all. The egg tide. The big area, the
west sid Astroma, they were the the bit gun Norse it is called the
Langbert and the wee bitgoing south is called the sous bird. There it's you
know, it's different names I had. I'll tell you who was lying in
the area the west Cerastroma was there was Gunter Preen went in and sank the
royal oak. He was lying with his periscope dep there hiding there called the
darkness condemned. Honestly, it's in his book I've read. I'll continue.
It's a dead he lays, he lay underwater periscope dates they waiting for the
darkness there that they wasted us so never seen that. The new scapaprool then
and he brought the royal open. There's another The other side is flood tide.
It's got a when the flood comes onto first, it's it runs not
such a good area, but once it makes an edy. And we're saying
it's called the paracu the first inside eddy there no day. I've never known
why it's called everybody called it. Alista called it a feracue the the south,
saying, then it's just called the wasted. That's the funny thing about
the tide. The tide is called the drets and it's going in the wind
is car all the directions coming from Okay, right, get westerly wind that's
coming from the west. You get a west tide. It's gone west.
And I've heard quite often it's probably what it's worst than the first is it?
If you get wind against tide, oh terrible to my up would create
that board of dunk. It's been a easterly wind and a swale and the
tide going into then the flood tide and the other shides. But the merry
men away. It goes all the way to Tornes. There's the west of
the wind, saying, if you could almost see the line of the merry
men of May, oh, absolutely, tim you'll see the tide the whole
time. Any swell at all. The guy yeah, seen us coming home
to the west. That broke the area and would come down there and we'll
still be own. But a running there would have to leave it. The
mountains a caesar which is waiting till the tide stalk and it was flat like
the It's funny, you know, well you'll probably relate to this. I
remember my father asking my father one time when we were younger about the pedal
and first and just who maybe it was. He'd wait quick, what absolutely
he was? And you know how we described it. This is the best
made to describe it for him was look at a boiling port, would say.
I would say, he never put any more real than that used to
call it. We used to leave it three in the morning to get waste
before the plant tied him on three o'clock in the morning, and you got
the a tide waste all the way with you. You know, he used
to see no shoot, so shut off. It happens now. But very
often you would get boats that are fishing the west and they were coming through
east would commit the scrabster and wait through the tide. Would that would that
amount of hours staying in scrubs they would not save them anything. Well,
they save them the fuel of steaming through there through there in an hour,
but if they steam through it be hours hours hours steaming start to be.
In fact, I've heard of them the coasters coming and they were they realized
they we're getting to the pers the strong tide, but they'd ease the boat
doing a bit so it would be eased by the then bot here. I've
also heard that some of the big ships community to the North America going to
like a rotterdam. The tubel is a much more dangerous we do with sail
with there's so many, so much shipping, but a lot of them do
that. I have to avoid the tide. Yes, I'm sure. The
World Firth, Yeah, it's it's a pure it's obviously world by seagoing people.
Oh my god, it's so it's let's see, it's renowned for for
the dangerousness of it that. You know. We were hauling creams one night,
one one the morning at they just waste the lights and the this fishing
boat came down and its sad tide and he came down and his head came
up to the tide, the main tide, and he just would save the
lightness. And he didn't even realize it, you know, but if he
turned them round right round about there at the age of the tide and it's
quick, this is broad daylight with no weather, you know, that's quite
dangerous. Again. Another thing I've heard you say in the in the top
chap something. Do you know we were brought up and thinking it's six tide
six hours to command half an hour hours there's always an hour it slacks up
and six hours. But I've heard you saying that's that doesn't go in the
first the storm has got an hour a difference between the south end and the
north end. The beacon there it will be slacked, they say. The
seats flood tide and when it comes high water the tide looked stopped at the
beating, but still roaring at the lighthouse. You know, I mean,
what's that I'll know? Be a mile? Is it? It's about a
couple of miles, like it's maybe just over a couple of miles, But
that's an hour a difference here in that two miles. When you think of
it, it's only about three or four hours. Is from scrubs the high
water the storma lighthouse is the same as high water and wick. That's when
it tracks there at the high water. Within it's a funny, funny old
place. I remember when my father was at the sea and it's tight books.
It would go by straight am, I they would they would go by
obviously Helms though wasn't on the books. There was a constant for it then,
Yeah, Liverpool, Yes, that's true that they will never forget that
they would follow the tide for Liverpool. It's so funny. You should see
Liverpool because Liverpool goes for the waist in the middle of the first year.
Yeah, it's funny. And I on the East coast, it would be
something very summer, you know, like a wink and no hard beyond it.
The guy and there is anything to do with the closeness between the land
between me and I would say, so it's an arrow us there. It's
like the Atlantic trying to get into the North Sea. Demon snow got the
room that will build up, build up. The other thing that this makes
it build up at this end down at Stroma where the horizon Paul will be
nine feet, but Scrabster here may about nineteen feet. You know, this
is this is Arise and Paul the maximum. You know, so what would
that it could be about nineteen twenty feet and scrabs a nine aroma. That's
you know all that things to be, you know, it's all passing from
generations u things that obviously you're quite sure maybe a generation or two before yourself.
All that would be this this stars and that's right, my dear,
dear. I remember I used to think it was quite funny when these to
talk about like in neither Nature programs, You'll go for you whatever, they
will be talking about the importance in the sun. Yes, yes, yes,
you know, okay, we need the sun to get warmth. A
fear that he was more interested in the moon. Very interesting that maybe because
that was the time. Oh, that's what they put the ties in the
go. You know, you get your neat tide and your spring tide.
The neap is when the two two are opposite each other on the Earth.
But when they're both pulling in the one line, they're getting the spring type.
They're both pulling together. Okay, they you know, they think he's
dear, dear. It's a funny old game to learn adult. It's fascinating,
you know, there's a thing that happened to me, John And I've
asked scientists, science teachers, all kinds of people that I thought, and
fishermen. And we were we were in the middle of London, the family
from father driving my mother and the passenger seat, three kids in the back,
my brother, and my sister and myself. A younger brother had been
born with them, but the three of us in the back, and I'll
never forget we were right, all four popular in London, lost lost our
way some navigator and you know, I'll never forget it till my dying day.
My father said he was just looking up at the windscreen and he said,
if I could just see the sun, I would know what side of
the Thames I was on. I've never met anybody able to explain to me,
Oh that's a good one. Could that just sounds a great day,
mark for getting, a mark, signal for getting in an it's you know,
nobody, nobody has been able to tell me. And that's not the
case. When he was in the world, I would say that you think
there's a danger. And if he you would say to the terms he was,
Oh sure, sure he would have got God, they would they would
know all this signals and signs of things. Yeah. Yeah, So what
way in your life did you actually leave Strama eighteen years old? And if
Jim I made it. Wait, before I left Somaic, you met your
will you do you stay at the fishing Yes? Yes, And I remember
I remember as a fisherman. Yes, that's right, Jim. I oh
Gosha susted it passion all my life was sorry And when I mean you were
a coach when of the local life book. When at what stage was that?
I was in my twenties, when I would say the twenty late twenties
when a Dwty cops and second corpses joked you man, I was in the
lakebook for twenty three years there. But we did a rescue and stroma of
the bear Leese passionly worked. When we're there ourselves. The ease is the
name of it. They were. They struck me the nessa duncans be there.
We left my mother gret a base seven o'clot and I mor it's a
favery morning I and she says there must be some activity. There are lights
and things over there. So we never did breakfast around and we just went
in case of rending in saved or helped or whatever. We went down there
and we're rescued for a crew. As about I end up in the breakfast
with the boats, and all of that boat was up with they. We
had breakfast with them, and that was in nineteen sixty one. And when
I was in the ice plant work. And I always talked to myself,
I wonder, say, spears fishing boats are all time. You were taking
them in their sail report and they were all coming out of the scraps at
the time, and I said, I must as somebody if they know any
of this, it's people. So I board the Granny the greeny aboard it,
and that says, I took doing a boat group with this four guys.
This is the any and if you know about that, he says,
they're from our village. Well the guy good god, I said, you
know bigs, Yes, this is really from their boat. The Granica was
the Eric was a scippard, it was. It was one of his,
the creemen in the su Yes, I came I anyway, he says.
There. He says, if you see the the new boat, the boat
coming in, it's them. The chief engineering is is the he'll be in
with the boat. So he says, ask that boat put the put there,
but they put them. If he knew bick and see. So he
says. The skipper says to me, this guy is not on board.
But he says, I'll tell him to see you when he comes in or
come down next trip. My god. The next trip, this guy come
over and thank me for rescuing them hacking the yack of something. He come
over and thank me. He thank me for rescuing them. Guys. You
know, yeah, I thought I used to enjoy dealing with the fears.
I just thought we had so much in common that there was one guy I'll
never forget. You're talking about tides earlier. He was They used to They
had no landing gear, so we used to land them. Were Koreans,
Skreans, so they were just and they would come moa away to the pub
and we would be discharging the fish. And when he came back or the
next day, oh, he was in an awful state. Early move,
so assist him. This is what's the nurse's wrong. So he came back
from the pub, not aware of the rise. There's no they have no
good the rise and fall of the time. They don't even bother in Pharaohs.
You're seeing this the hardy tire ladder. Yeah, so he came back
from the cab, just walked off the pier and dropped them be twenty feet
under the deck of the boat. So, oh, he was just an
awful steal. So I was up in the theater. It was no long
after that, and I met his cousin and I asked a sister him.
He says, how did your your cousin get on? When he arrived home?
He says, well, he says, it was actually quite funny.
He said he was getting he was in the bedroom, he was getting ready
for bed, and he's taking his clothes off. And his wife looked and
says, my goodness, what happened to you? There? He was black
and blue, all Duke one said. And he turned his wife and he
says, it's nothing. He says, the drug. We've got a big
sea, it's against the wheelis eating there there there there. But thinking back
of the tides and that that must have been a huge help to you and
the lifebook. Your knowledge of the Alexa stow. You didn't go anywhere,
and they said, tidy, you went to go over, But to go
to the Alexa light boat you had to go at any rate. It was
all knowledge. Yeah. Maybe the light boat was called work and you had
to go. Regardless of what. We were going to the light bulb and
everybody else was making hop you know. We in the restaurant for twenty years.
Galley and I was right in front. You know, you're right in
front of it. Yes, yes, And of course if anybody was eating
in the restaurant when they got the shout, and they got a shout,
the cars were arriving and people diving on board. I used to always say
that any customer was obviously the we're all to see it. This is new
to them. Yeah. I always made the point that says, when all
that lad's gonna shoot and he says they're going helpfully to get there, That
says there's only one thing. They don't consider themselves. That's it. It's
just you go regardless, like you know, yeah, you probably you probably
don't know what they're going to see. You don't you know what you're going
to come across some and some not A good JA must be a you know,
they're they're your knowledge of that time must have been good, fantastic,
But it would all they have to deal with it eventually, you know,
thank God to say, as I say, some of them end it good,
but some of them were not good. You know, that's for life
saving they yeah, life. He's saying about all the details of and I
finished with the book Certificate of Service. Well try to place up in your
wallfly so as well. It's exodusery, but you enjoy that thing. Say,
I'll tell you one thing about the light book. People ask me what
do you think about people that are swimming or whatever? They says. Of
course, one thing you don't do is ask them what their religion is.
Regardless of what he is, he needs to be rescued. You know,
you can't ask a guy in the water if you're if you're a Christianer,
a Roman Catholic or whatever, you know, you rescue it. Yeah,
you know, you know what I mean. He was back back and tell
you a week quick story about your great granite. They come in one night
they land and as says, they spoke to some of the guys that I
knew their faces like that. Says to one guy, this is in my
best sphere. We have you much history night and he says, I'm from
these new got pipe married and appears a slightly different day story London. We
landed aboard, got his tannage and his price. So I was I went
down and giving his tally shm A. She crossed, and he was okay,
thank you and whatnot. And then I went back up to the office
and was ever Lassie Jane was working in the office. She says, oh,
you've made a mistake here. He says, what sort of mistakes?
She says, Oh, you've short you've shortened. He's your short changed him.
He said he's got more fish. So we made the new tally up
and I went back down. I got the skipper and then he's broken English.
Here's me standing and the pier saying, can I get tally tally tally?
Sorry, didn't understand he said, sales sales note a paper paper and
he's no making it to any of it. I'm saying, I'm made a
mistake, error, error, error, mistake, no understanding any of it.
And after about five or ten minutes, I said, look, I'm
sorry, I made a mistake, and you're entitled to more money. More
money. He was right away, Oh, they're good. You understand that
that way. That's that's funny when you say it with the high high hello
one. And that's once when it came off the guy come off worst with
it because you, I mean, when you think of the drop twenty feet
when I'm decking a boat, one good thing would have helped and he would
have been well socialed, so pick a painkiller. But I remember a time
John spoken about it. I remember myself and you would have probably been one
of many situations. The Donald mackay Starr as we called him at a time,
well known local fisherman and just a frightening thing. We heard that he
actually broke down his engine stopped in the first which I just thought was frightening.
On the they were saying so at the time, and there's something like
twelve to fourteen not time. Yeah, And I remember speaking to yourself,
turned quite cool, can't in collective and said, well he won't hit stroke?
Never had it told him whenever the tie hits it there it's out the
way it goes, it bounces off the island. In other words, you
know, would he hit a rock or would he just hit nothing? No?
Never that well he didn't. That pund scariest is the same. I
think they got him in the North Sea. It's waste he was going to
time it was on there. I'll tell you how any Billy Cracker was aboard
him. Dollars a cream bully. That's right, Billy, you were on
board him for a while. We used to used to gut fish for him
in the harbor and they come in. Okay, I can remember you fishing
and the help. So both silver stars, soldier's jobbing, Willy Joey that
was WILLI that will be James's father father. They were in boards. They
were both board. Yeah. Well Willie's mother and my father's mother or sisters.
Never yeah, nice people. They were droppy. We were cowy,
but yes, yes, mothers, I see there was relations. They were
dusk good to me and hills. They were nice people. There were decent
people. Was a fine soul and said Willie, didn't I say very much
at all. Good fisherman. Yeah, but I think before the new boats
said the new boat said like a twin Derek at the steiring, like a
were taking the fishing board and all they had a mask before this and a
bloke at the top and they took that much to bring a left put the
mask down through the cabin and I mind, I'm telling me to get back
to Stormware and never totally. But the Morland pools there in the time gym.
No, there's bad ones there. The one's the scoot that's starting,
that's one of them. That's where the graveyard is as southeast corner and there's
one at the Scary Whale which is at the east side of the beacon there,
and the other one is the rip on the west side of it with
flood died, and the most dangerous one is the fluky the rights. That's
all treatuous for fall boats. Were you still on the lifeboat when you were
working on the ice one? Yes, I was there. Yeah, yes,
we went over to the we went over to the name of a long
Hopefe boats there and I had to leave the leave the mister Simpson to look
after the ice here for me. Yes, it's still in it. There's
a funny saying. I'm sure you know exactly that when the but the new
Peer and Strama everybody sailed off. The people were saying that they've gotten an
ends for a price pay every week now better getting on the mainland. But
I don't know if that was too And Stroma island and the well, I
thought it was Ireland, and the stream with it being strong Strama island in
the stream is the Norwegian name for it for thron, so yeah's say that's
the name for it. Orty sometimes have it as one of their islands.
They have no chance. It's the only island, the Blos the only island.
Yeah, there's stories that's in some of the books I have about they
when the Norwegian's came. It was about five thousand years ago that they were
there. You know, I remember our son Ashley a lot. I'm sure
the study on research and research on making. I mean, this was a
have been a center for Yes, yes, the Norwegians. They were everywhere
they were. They were as far south as the island Man and yeah everywhere
that west coasters still yeah, yeah, so you would you would have seen
a lot of boats either coming east or west, all the thing, all
the thing. I think for some reason, Thursday used to be a favorite
day for a lot of shipping past over and stomach okay, east and west,
you know, for even as a kid they missed an exciting it was
a great great Toby the spye glass on them see which one it was,
and when he went past, and then we watched for it coming back again
from the continent or whatever. You know, it's that's a great day,
great hobere And would you ever get the stage when regular maybe local fishing boats
could they'd be quite far away and you would know who it was to get
the number and with boat you know we neither numbers. Yeah, I don't
suppose that would have mattered whether it was I, N S or B C
one of them. Monday morning. Used to see them all come ring duncans.
We just have cleat the boats. You can really walk on them,
you know, they're just yeah, they're all making waist. But there were
there were smaller boats at temple sites with there. You see when a boat
did go ashore, how would how would that have happened? When the way
the time kept them off will just be too close. They've steamed on.
If you stop them, they'll all touch anything. He's steaming. I do
believe that's what happened to the Kathy either kitchener that went and the painting scaries.
They was splitting on the main island and he was south and he stemmed
the tide there and couldn't get up through it. I did stop the boat.
He'd be okay, but this is what they maintained steaming there. But
he went inside on atop the island there, but he was steaming trying to
get wearer there. Remember going back a long time now, I'm sure you'll
remember. I'm doing a sandy bous was it the celerity? Oh, Sandy
you Sandy will He was lost in all hands and the whole lot on the
first nineteen eighty three or eight before and he just drove down. I just
drove down. Well, that'd be just went against tide or the wind was
with him, and I'll see what happened there out in the middle of the
person. I know exactly where it happened because the book he mean totally.
And it was about five miles north of done It Head. Now the Crystal
River was steaming with him, and he was inside where the flood was down
there but a tide of ryan for three hours more than inside heavy swell there
with the why when he got into that there the the just the very last
of the tied there and it was just for rendous seas. It was,
I mean the other boat that was inside, the other boat that was inside.
He was only about a mile or when you say the crystal was at
Peter Smith, No, I kind of went to the guy was it was?
It was before at the gym. I I kind of made the skipper's
name. It was Smith mind Peter Eye a long time whether hear the Crystal
River. It was a long timeson yes, on the venture now, oh
yes, he started well, he left his father boat and went to see
with Peter Smith. Yea Peter, and they go, this is this is
some other crystal. This's a b a boat. I think it was.
Okay, I kind of may discover frame. But they were This is as
you were speaking before, but the time in different places, at different times.
This is what happened. The flood tide was down inside, it was
making east the plug type. But out there where Sandy Bruce was, he
must have stayed. Oh it's all blood tide. I'll get down to it.
But he must have mistaken that bit of water there. I don't know,
but I remember hearing from different fishermen speaking about it afterwards that it was
he was classed as somebody and the first Sandy was well acquainted that person.
I just don't know. He lost his boat. So it just shows how
no matter how aquain. Yeah, Andy says to me, we sold the
Diligent, but they hand before that and the Dilegence. You're an old old
boat. And they said to me, we're getting rid of that old boat,
getting a new boat up bright you'll go on bits snippers. That's what
he said to me himself, Sandy Bridge, it up, Sally, And
that's exactly that is. It's it's the new boat. They got a dam.
They came from the Flanning Isles. I think that night I think they
said she wasn't such a good boat. Wait, just a few fish inner
and I think their party boats are Fishinger the That's what the buffer stream told
me. I think the boat I remember it was lost, and I remember
the skipper that was lost, like Flip. His name was the an I
n s boat I won six with a plot the Aquaria. He was no
kind of mind him there there there. Yeah, it's frightening really who I
remember when on George Rob was lost at Duncan's Bay. We were thrown.
Yeah, well, my cousin they was on the coast guard at the time,
and he was saying that the lifeboats were looking for them, the bodies,
and they were couldn't have believe that there were he there was a They've
seen a lot of lights and they couldn't have believed that it would be small
boats, lobster boats and that out in such a poor night, and they
only just discovered afterwards. It was the life jackets of the crew. I
don't know that, George Robe. Yeah, there was nobody floating about that.
George Robe, I don't like it. Oh, they the coastguards had
a light shining from the brayhead on it and they was seeing mcflashing of the
the somethings people fashion back. But they realized afterwards it was the windows and
the thing. It was boat rolling their gym man. I mind the Frenchman
that was also wrote he was the string of lights. And they would see
there they were all individual made. They were all floating way way life jackets
on and we lights. Yeah, we were in Stowma that George Roman ashore
and he my father should something's happened up there. We could smell the diesel
and the coming down the wind. We were about maybe five miles the northwest
from it, and so we could smell the diesel in the air. My
father says, something happened there, said their boat burst or sunk or something,
and it's the George rob was nobody understood why he paraded off Wick all
day in the daylight hours. We went down there at night. Ah,
I don't know what for a back to the coat cards old I thought I
thought he had when he went between the stacks, and that they missed the
first. That was then other story that came with right enough, Jim,
I thought maybe it was dunking to me they had seen the stack, thinking
he was seeing. But I don't think you're seeing very much for the king
that night, there wasn't you know, the Long Hope life puts down,
he wondered. Needle Stewart refused to hope, which he was quite right.
He couldn't get into the week by here. There was a greed. There's
a great closeness between Long Hope and oh God, I'd say, Jim,
oh, which even saw there, it's not the Long Hope lifeboat passing strowa
going make him down? For it? Is that right? Oh, terrible,
terrible like that in the long Hold lifeboat itself was lost. We were
on the lifeboat, the lifeboat then he no, Jim, no, he
it was nineteen sixty nine that she was lost. I remember after that.
I remember seeing the upturned hill and terrible line and terrible I was coming a
tragedy. You want it that I wear on the badges and one has the
memorial to their long Hold black Boat crew on it? Is that right,
that's the most important one that's on it. The other one Thur Burdens and
various other thing, but one is the their memorial. I remember when just
in recent years when they had the service for Kevin's sim that was lost.
It was Ryan. Oh yes, and the long beliefs would were over.
Oh they have a very close surgeon. I knew that. For us it
was on a like book. We used to go in the long boat to
my aunties here an auntie there. H So so really as far as anything
happening in the Pentland Firth was concerned, any accidents, so that it was
between the long note, yes, the lifeboat. Yeah, so it's all
all them. That's in bold. You know. Having said that, now
in this day and age, if they'd had our self writer, they would
have still survived. It wasn't it wasn't. It wasn't a self writing light
book. They all saying the cool see g B anymore. G GB was
the name of the light board. That's that's the name of the right book.
Oh c I GB it was there, Okay, that would have been
the donator somebody something that was it always you know, it's donations now,
amazing thing, and I find there's there's a queue of people that's straight down.
It's a funny system. You know. It's an amazing organization in l
I anything would may be raising money and there would be running. It's different
to what it used to be all together. Tell you what slovely is that
the monument that been with now no, yeah, goshious lovely you know,
I still going to visit that. Have a bit at the names and but
be lovely. The size of it's no everywhere it has one of them,
you know, I know, I know Angland nor they call it. Some
people say it's Angel and North. I think it's a giving and giving the
one hand and leaves him with the other. I think that's you can get
something from it, but you can lease. Yeah. Oh, it's a
lovely tool. But I think I think the one thing that they're not the
one thing, but I think the thing that takes I mean, the responsible
sort of people that are using a pedaling first is treating it will respect.
Oh, for a cold sake, am I Oh, I think it's the
only way to do a gyms treating a respect. An Icelandic ship there when
we stayed in the island, this Icelandic ship he capsized up the likes of
Stow roughly a mit it. But he came down there and he didn't expect
any problem. But the boat turned turtle and let's a it's an Aberdeen tower.
They picked them up the gym, the crew, but they reckoned that
the tide coming down the first of the flood tide, and he was sitting
in the tide and when he made one mate the other day the wreckoned the
capsized the boat there and so she has she's wind up with northas when what
one what? Well, he was still in the tide meeting this new tide
coming down the inside the waist tide that the flood time must have got in
blows and threat they beat from blow with jip. Oh none of that you
would see with the visual eye. No, no, this is in broad
Dally the skipper of horses, he knew or something wrong because he could see
the Derek swinging it over the sidewalk when she went. We heard them.
The skipberd had told the crew in the tower and they picked them up.
Skipberard wife was on board and a four year old son. They've got any
life wrapped and the skipper says that they've been playing cards, staying below the
crew. And this is one guy actually come in a life rapped with a
hand of cards in his hand. Was that it wouldn't be a great hand
was happened in broad daily, and I'll tell you how bad it was.
There weren't much we see because we were at that day, but it was
an orderly one. We were at sea where a plenty support footboat. Yeah
you know that all remainds me going back and for our appearance. And and
it's a too very very sooth saying. And I always rings with me John
anytime as better as right up. Anytime we would hear somebody lost, let's
see we had a crew man or all hard absolutely and she would turn and
say that's the place of fish. Oh, that's the true price of fishes,
he seating. Yes, I've heard that same thing. Yeah, that's
the place of terrible, terrible it is if an apolo of main losses.
You know, people would even have the audacity to think they would get it
cheap. What's cheap? Life's not cheap, as you say, it's a
two price. When the light those trying to gated, it's terrible work.
It is run. And that's the fisherman's ways and lifeboat cruise are out there,
no feel of the early I'll tell you one thing I always maintained saved
cruise life was when they started putting shelter dates. Oh yeah, that's must
be life saver. That one. I always maintained that. Yeah, you
look at some of that. I've read some of the books disasters and of
floss off the Fife course everywhere every week loss of life must be open dates.
And yet other I was telling you about that ship that capsized, but
the tower picked all the crew ups. He had the cambard that sank when
he deveload concrete. Yeah, that's exactly the same place as that. I
standard, right, whatever happened there, and it's the same as the same
I know exactly where he was because Wally Sampson was watching him and his he
was watching on his computer, you know, and Wally was watching and his
seeing him coming down from Duncan's area, come down there, and he went
and had his lunch. When making back there was no boat and they took
the shopping wrong with his computer. But boat and sunk. Wow. God,
he said he couldn't believe it like you and did. They were there.
They never got that's still any boat jam, that's right, Yeah,
but did they did he see the emergency services? I'm not sure what he
did about the jam, couldn't I say it, but they were they were
looking for it immediately about that time that I think I remember that he was
a seemingly well known good good she meant to you, I think as far
as I can gathering. Yeah, it just it just highlights how important it
is. There is a certificate's skippery just gonna be a any tone for he
did to get into that stuff, Like, you know, I just feel
that should should stick in this idea that cheap fish, they're no cheap adult,
they're no cheap men's leaves or risk the top of and they used their
lives that they're all the time. It's sell you and then keep going on,
you know, yeah, yeah, oh dear, it's it was a
cruel scene. It's it's a crudel scene on it, but it's fascinating and
just speaking to you. But I love anything my arms speaking taking up the
pentan at first, because as I said, I've always been born and brought
that thinking. As I said earlier, six hours high water, half an
hour, six hours. Yeah, so you'll be coming. I think you
said to me one would have been said it was three hours one wed.
I'll tell you there's two replaces we got this Scars Grape Point as one.
There's done it head and they'll long have been about an hour and a half
of blood tide and nine and a half hours of egg time. Yeah yeah,
and do you know that, Oh? Absolutely absolutely, there will be
no way of putting that on a time book or anything with that unless you
know all about it, like the de you know personally have things you know
that's obviously Yeah, asking you what to do didn't matter obviously how powerful down
on the castle and me in that area close in to the land I'm talking
about here, maybe a half a mile or a mile log that will be
it's a three hours of waistbone tide here and nine they going the other way.
That's helps it to what it does at broke By, that's only about
a two miles apart. H there there there. Unless you're a nicer show
and that things, you would never even play it, yeh. Scargier Head
that's another place. Scargier Heads, all north Tidier get maybe a couple of
hours of southbe that once the once the tide gets strong and a point,
it gets stronger and stronger and it wears off the point then and it's all
in gooing tide in to meet it. It's it's a strange thing. It's
all that's that's things have been so not so but known about for years and
generations. Uh, oh, dear, dear, does it very Oh that's
constant? Actually, oh tired is constant? Yeah, So that difference is
from the normal six hours running nurse whatever, you know, what's various,
the stuff that you just pulling in the you know. Yeah, but this
three by the nine and two different idea has been the opposite. Yes,
that constant. What's constant, that's there all the time every day the tie
runs. That's constant. And as charts as chart's got that they should have
it. Like I've seen I've seen the diagrams of the paint and personally R.
Jonathan some of them will know even match up, you know, happens
there and there's just absolutely constant. And is that close in it's maybe half
a mile off gym to the show there. So once that once that east
side starts there, that's for nine hour thing. So if you were,
you know, on the Organey side where it's a big white then see it
would be quite different there. Maybe quite often sea boats go that way,
and I just wonder if it's maybe more they're maybe getting less time or something.
Gym depends what time they go, of course shy, of course,
yeah, so they would really wait until they got the tide going west if
they were well, honestly, yes, it would be gym more to their
advantage. Chick. Yes, I remember Ian when he had the old doll
scare, you know, the previous one to the one. Well, I
remember he was coming east from the east and the scraps there and he had
a role in the many men of Ma shifted his boat wheelers know not the
wheelers. But it's just fish in the fish just it's a horrendous pace and
can have a have a apple repercussions early. Thank god. It's strange too.
And you can look in from the land and just see the white water.
You see see the merry men away. They call it throw and called
merry men away the old Dames that was another name for it. Maybe so
many people heard that the old Ames say storm and called it and what caused
that think it's coming up fish making shallow waters start inland and why it should
go to the deep waters. It's another and although it looks just white water,
would there be the current and current it's all going into the and the
more heavy westernly see you get the worst everything is there. Just escalate there,
you know. So it can be can be horrendous at times, but
other times way unless it's unless there's weather, it's just not too bad at
all. It's so many easy. You don't see the records in it,
you know every time the well from what you're saying there, I think my
father was not far road and boiling port. That's over years all that one.
That's yeah, I've heard them. I've heard other people call it boiling
pots around you know. See when you're going west, just see you're steaming
west and you're going through the first the penaland first and then you're clear of
the Orkanys and you're just the north coast. You wouldn't have the same time
then with you Oh no, no, sen you're clear that the clear the
part o drop down to three four not because they've got the expanse there that
it's jack and then here and tiny all through there at one again. Yeah,
I just know the same. It's still it's still matters are still effects
and even with modern big modern boats now we may I mean, well,
I'm going to think of it. My father, we used to think it
was a battleship besides it, and it was fifty four feet Some of the
boats nowadays, our battleship would go on their deck. And still they'll still
you know, I'll be speaking to somebody and I'll say when will you be
in scraps there, and they'll just say, well, they'll still say,
well, it depends on the tide. You'll be watching them in the computer
and you'll see them no no biging. The speed they were there would be
maybe seventy nine knots, and as soon as they're coming from the first well
that maybe lots either. Indeed, i've seen that she's five and three years.
You can get in yet, And still it's the same thing. I'll
see you, guys, he's hit a tie wrong and he's just merely crawling
up the berth. But this is maybe coming doing the west sideboard or the
west or and then we steaming making good times seventy nine notes, and it's
just where they're coming south and they can come close to the first it's five
four or five before. And they know that because I'll say, well it
depends. They know they'll give you a time of arrival because it's depending.
No, it's all. There's all the time down there, you know there
there. Oh, it's it can be difficult for shipping. That still fascinating.
It's a huge subject and so important as well. Deer dear what you
say, no one that they've got to get skipper stickings and things and there
and there's it's really annoying when you hear people making idiots of themselves to see
and some crazy make shift is act and they go. And then the next
thing, there's a lifeboat called that. Yes, exactly our lifeboat here was
short ago that I think a guy who's wout forty mile and then seeing a
canoe thing, yeah, I think it's just it's just a family that he
owned from it. It's lucky getting a mobile phone people. Yeah. But
the other thing that fascinates me about the crew have past cruise. There's certificate's
for or outstanding seamanship and bravery and with it cox win of the life.
I'm sure you're where you can see that with the certificates in your wall here,
and Dougie was believing when yes, one and he's got a certificate.
Yeah, but I don't speak to any Yeah, and it's just a the
shoulders. There's no it's just like, well, somebody's got to do that
thing, and you just get on with it. I know's goal just away
of light. They never say very much about it at all. I mean
even young guys. You know, you think in some ways you think they're
going to be risky in their lives, but they're so proud and please that
they got a crew man's job. You're just like, I've done it,
I've got there. There was probably a mother and father thinking that's the last
thing, maybe said dear dear, dear dear. Yeah either there. It's
it's great how they public they support them all the time. I think,
yeah, so go back to the serious and we say that or any of
that. Boats. All they need to do is switch off the engines if
it stopped, that's it's not the same without gila wind or storm or well
he's got a good grip to see him and we're touching island. Maybe the
Gala wind blowing straight on the shoulder and the tides slacking off or something,
they could have a problem. You know, there's a big tanker, super
tanker. He broke down in a fog and a pentant first and the crew
abandoned ship. So they thought she's going to go a shore. And the
tug picked him up out between the pent and scaries and a dunk and said
he was on the west side. So on they were right doing that,
and it through the channel at the east. Say, they all jumped into
the white for us. Ah, so I think it's a Greek key.
You don't mind that it's the it's they tug they tolament ay turcle. I
think I remember that it's a good weather go thirty forty year ago. Yeah,
they were. They were panic and go right with the ship. They
were thinking she's going to hit stow. He never touched a thing, so
obviously that classic example of that that's interesting that knowledge is No, they didn't
know that you would miss it. You know, they were certainly expected to
head it. It's a tuget and I'll take the something that they dunk.
The Ordyment took the ship and the kirk I think or Scottploe I can't I
remember, but they took her in here. They just fixed her up and
a couple of hours kind of thing, you know, it's a bleeding the
fuel pipe or something the ord just fixed, which they should have done that,
you see. You know, I think that's the problem behind the panic
and a year kind of thing. The only thing that I would say in
not defending them, but I remember when the toy canyon, Yes, son
seven stones, Yes, I reckon that he knew for miles that was going
to happen. But they were with the way their engines and things, they
couldn't have stopped. They could slowly doing and put it in these but simally
it wouldn't do you do you do? Do lte? Possibly? Possibly,
but I heard a story about her the the airport. They would be out
to blow it up and spit the fire, you know, because they were
thing the head for of they fired a rock and they mastered it. But
these the junior in the head christ has beat us. That's another one.
Having on the check and rope, I think, and the skipper and I
think you stick one as guy that didn't have a ticket anytime, like a
Greek cole whatever. And he thought he'd passed that checking rope, but now
before he had. This is the difference in the competent the skipper and yeah,
yeah, but it obviously shows that competent. It's important and you respect.
Did they get themselves and out against tide or way the body get well?
You know you can still get Uh it was too flat. And call
the boy from from the waist three. Yeah, his name is he He
was in the merchant Navy and he was in Rotterdammers from the places. And
he went up to the Greek opice in the place and the voice says,
say, are you looking for sketber's teat room? He was looking for a
skepper's ticket twenty five pounds And he goes and they had purify. Yes,
and they're sitting at the home in his in his house, and he said
they'd hear that much rubbish as tickets. His wife says a pound some skepber's
tickets are from He says, put the many fire. It's only radio up
there. He didn't put them any fire. That's worth nothing. He was
scabbard on the Ordy boat. Say I think it's any or Felder or something.
Davids No, No, okay, so he's tell me to sto.
No, I don't think. I don't think the character heard of a story.
But you don't like him a long road now speaking DV coach, No,
DV coach coach man, Yeah, there was Wally Wally Coat hard but
if I any hard and I was speaking of the bully about our room minute
smoking here, don't make him a longer road walk and make him prepare for
Orney And he says, hey, here for my skepper coming. Well,
yeah, he's he's Joe. I come over the road and he says,
I heard you boys, I know, but I can't Joe my quite well.
He says, you'll take and I'm John and hit the bottle on the
hand of him was even broken. Seal was whole. Give her to take
a drawing, to take your court over shure, I put her back in
his own puppet. So nobody said any Morris in the yard and John I
took up with a bottle and eager awake the ferry and took a botts open
my bottles. So when when he show the come in now that's about the
spring of the year. Show theaker in Wally coach. He went to Niclicho
and over he went and heavy up into the all of the tables, sitting
all the things, and who was added with Tony while his prize Haymes,
Bantams, what heyvy Yard and rose eights on winners. Now Wally had that
carrier bay and he did up and he rang to their necks and I put
them on the bag. This is up for your butler on to me.
And it wasn't a told me. It was joy. I raked the necks
and put them in a bag. Is that would be my dress? Read?
He was doing fairy runs between the islands. Ah, that's right,
I'm giving me a business card. I think I made a hope for it.
Meant to look. I still a copy of it. He's only going
and all these the services that he provided. And there was I think there
was two on it. Rebellions quelled and virgins converted something else. Oh,
dear, dear, it's only good guy. Yeah, they were all good
semen. Oh god, see, I've done as far as what we've been
talking about the day, I've personally known a lot of gone back fishermen.
Them back they are, I mean very only national Maine that never complained at
the ice pot the end never complete, never complete, and they're the only
agent because he complained personally gruser of them. You know, yeah, I
know they except things. And and one guy came here from peter Head and
he's never been there before, and he want then to give him to tell
him about icy daily And he says, how much. I say that we've
got a say, seventh ton. Oh, he says, as no,
how seventh tourn I said, well, Teddy, and you finally all h
Sampson told me, never did them given them play. He's a rather than
great bad turn teams and a bag T shirt that same and he he's successful
the seventh turn. I said, well, Teddy, but I'm going to
do I'm either going to put any seventh turn or I'm gonna put any right
amount. No, no, he says, seven tunnel be fine. Just
soon called his blood. There was all trying there here. I remember my
father used to say, when the come back, go way back to the
like the trollers like Grimsby how trawlers, and oh sure sure that they were
cool boats. They were drumming and cool and oh shure shure running the cool
and he says they were create seaboats guys, he said, there be and
this is the ballast on him, he said, there'll be fuller cool going
to see and then yeah, the passion subsidized with the wheat thing. And
I have heard them they didn't catch much, which let them unstable. But
yeah, as a great they think they never stoked that first, never stoked
for whaler and we always used to watch him and is going to them wheelights
and it, you know, the heavy whaler never stoked it. That would
be a bit of a risk with then no, not to him at all.
No, no, no, with the fact that you have good ballast
and all that. That's right, Jem's not helping. It would help under
the conditions here, they can't. It wouldn't be a place you'd be wanting
to stay it with it ballast, you know. Yeah, So anything later
top heavy or that, no great at all. They would mostly hip past.
As you said, the counteract the stores and coal and no say that
there were yes, yes, dieselic ones and one go and went back again.
Thank you all the time. Thank you for listening to Seafood Matters podcast.
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