The Gerrard brothers had been David and Andrew, who together with their father, additionally Andrew, had arrange their boatbuilding enterprise alongside the lifeboat station in Arbroath within the early Fifties. Their first construct was the Bairn’s Satisfaction AH 27, launched in 1955.
They constructed at the very least 72 vessels as much as 1990, after which they needed to depend on repairs and overhauls to maintain the enterprise. It went into receivership in 1994, largely as a result of decline within the fishing fleet within the city, which means that even upkeep work had dried up.
A newspaper {photograph} of the Gerrard Brothers workforce within the Seventies.
Strathgarry SY 88 was painted inexperienced and was famend for having a steep deck, with the distinctive Gerrard’s bow. The Caterpillar 250hp engine was ahead at launch, although was moved aft later.
Angus McLeod and Donald Murray labored her till 1979, when she was changed by the Sputnik trawler Strathgarry (ex Truthful Isle LH 259, in-built 1959 in Berwick), as they wished to fish sandeels with a much bigger boat. Later, in 1986, Angus and Donald bought the smaller Jimmy Noble-built Our Rachel FR 97 and, clearly liking the identify, renamed her Strathgarry IV SY 89.
The newly launched vessel alongside – with the subsequent Gerrard Brothers construct underway ashore.
The Gerrard’s-built Strathgarry was bought to Stephen Buchan and others of Peterhead, and have become Strathgarry PD 91. In 1983, she was bought to Alistair Buchan of Stromness, however didn’t keep there lengthy, being bought once more in 1984 to Ronnie C Brownie of Carradale, when she was renamed Bonnie Lass III and re-registered as CN 126. She was then transformed to a scalloper, and labored the west coast of Scotland scallop grounds.
After being bought to Peterhead in 1979.
James Henderson was the engineer aboard her all through her time in Carradale, and remembers that after a 12 months or so, the engine was shifted aft by the Campbeltown Shipyard. The gasoline tanks had been additionally moved, leaving a ‘big’ forepeak, which was tailored as a workshop. She was then painted blue. Lodging was aft, and 4 crew labored her.
They fished throughout the Clyde, round Gigha and Islay and as far north as Skye in 10-day journeys, leaving the boat up there for weekends house. Scallops had been landed into Uig or often Mallaig. They labored seven dredges all sides – they did attempt eight, however there was simply not the room, James advised me. The engine was later swapped for the same Caterpillar, upgraded to 299hp.
“She was a terrific working platform,” James mentioned. “Splendid for the job. We did do a herring trawl a few instances, but it surely was principally dredging. I’d been on all three Bonnie Lasses in Carradale,” he added.
Coming into Crinan after being renamed Bonnie Lass III.
In 2000, Ronnie Brownie determined to retire from fishing, and Bonnie Lass III was bought inside every week. Sadly he died in March 2023, so I simply missed talking to him.
She was bought to John MacAlister (Oban) Ltd, and labored out of Oban. In 2005 she was bought to Brian McGuire of Maryport and was re-registered as MT 126. She continued scallop fishing round Britain, in addition to performing some prawn trawling. One in every of her skippers on the time, Steven Wilkinson, described her as ‘a cracking boat’.
In 2018 she was bought to Mike Inglesfield of Ramsey, and re-registered as RY 189.
I caught up with Mike when he was house from the fishing. With the Isle of Man scallop fishery closed as common in the course of the summer season, he’d been fishing up north so far as Jura and touchdown into West Loch Tarbert. He’d simply returned from Campbeltown once we spoke.
Hauling off the Isle of Man.
He advised me how the scallop lifting poles had been a bit outdated by 2018, so he swapped those from the Heather Maid when the vessel was within the Ramsey Shipyard quickly after shopping for her. It appears these had been a bit wider, giving one other 3ft. He was utilizing six dredges slightly than the seven a facet the boat used to work, on account of it being simpler for the 2 crew, himself and one different. That was a gripe: the dearth of crew on the island, he mentioned.
Slipped at Campbeltown Shipyard in round 1986.
He was planning to slide the Bonnie Lass III on the Ramsey Shipyard in October this 12 months for some TLC and to have her re-nailed earlier than the Manx season opened once more in November. “However we are able to’t get shipwrights on the island,” he mentioned.
“I don’t know if the re-nailing has ever been executed, so it’s about time, and I’ve booked three weeks on the slip. However I simply can not get anybody to work on the hull, as a result of there simply aren’t any shipwrights round. Similar as with crew – nobody needs to tackle these jobs right here. I’m hoping to carry a fellow over from Eire.”
Coming alongside in Peel. The Nobles of Girvan 1970-built Maureen Patricia CT 76 on the suitable is one other vessel that has handed the 50-year mark. (Photograph: Darren Purves)
That’s mad, I mentioned, on an island that depends upon fishing for a part of its GDP. I suppose it’s a mirrored image of the instances, although in components of the nation – the west of Scotland, as an illustration – there’s a renaissance in shipwrightery.
I requested how the vessel was standing as much as the check of time, now that she’s 52 years outdated. “She’s nice – she does precisely what she must do, and retains up with the remainder of them.” Now painted pink, she additionally appears to be like grand!
Because of James Henderson and Mike Inglesfield for info, and to Darren Purves for photographs.