# Decommissioned Stern Trawlers



## boulton

Can someone please direct me towards information, lists, photos, etc, of (decommissioned) Stern Trawlers of the type requisitioned by the Royal Navy during the Falklands war: Cordella/Farnella/Northella, Junella and Pict. Where are they now ??

I recall before moving from Scotland to Lincolnshire five years ago, I visited the Edinburgh docks now overlooked by the new buildings for the Scottish Executive. These particular docks were jam-packed full of decommissioned Stern Trawlers - maybe 8-9 abreast and in lines of 6-7 ?? What was that all about ??


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## tenterden

the CORDELLA H177 built 1973 - sank off new foundland 2005, the FARNELLA H135 built 1972 is now ODYSSEY EXPLORER a marine exploration ship, the JUNELLA H249 built 1975 caught fire and was beached near argentina and was scrapped,the NORTHELLA H206 built1973 became a royal navy training ship, but now scrapped,the PICT H150 built 1973 fished out of nambia under the name FRIENDSHIP but is now scrapped, SEND ME A P-M OF YOUR E-MAIL ADD AND I WILL SEND YOU PHOTOS OF THE SHIPS -- JERRY


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## sparkie2182

if your interest is of stern loaders generally...... try............

http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.connectfree.co.uk/jacinta.html


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## boulton

Tenterden,

Many thanks. Where do you find that information ?!

Whilst for "completeness" I'd like to know what all those stern-trawlers were doing in Edinburgh (some EU deccommissioning scheme ?), I am also particularly interested in what is putting to sea now.

(e-Mail supplied by P-M, if this is easier to transfer information).

Thanks again,


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## boulton

Thank you "Sparkie2182", that will keep me busy for a long while.


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## john fraser

The "decommissioned"stern trawlers seen in Leith at that time would have been laid up standby boats possibly


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## boulton

John, thanks for the suggestion, but what exactly is a "standby" boat? You certainly could not have got one out in a hurry, certainly not one in the middle of the "pack". But, who OWNED them then? Had the original "civilian" owners/businessmen/trawler men/firms, been paid compensation. What has happened to the boats since ? I'll be grateful for any suggestions.


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## Trawldoor

Andrew,
Standby boats are ships that are used to provide emergency support for the oil installations in the North Sea. Back in time these vessels were mostly converted fishing vessels. Initially, the SBSV fleet comprised mostly of Side trawlers (ex Hull/Grimsby.Aberdeen/Lowestoft/Fleetwood etc). The vessels were those who had been replaced by Stern Trawlers or had lost their grounds (e.g. Aberdeen boats lost Faroe grounds). As time wore on a number of ex stern trawlers were converted also. They had mostly lost their fishing opportunities too. Of the vessels, some were decommisioned with the money going to the owners (who just turned them into SBSV and continued making money !!) and some were just converted as a better financial option. The owners were varied and ranged from companies who just started a SBSV subsidiary e.g. North Star (Craig Group), Colne Shipping etc to companies started purely for the SBSV trade e.g. Nomis, Seaboard Offshore, Viking etc . As for the ORIGINAL men most were chucked on the scrapheap initially by the trawler owners (with no redundancy) but many got new employment on the SBSV's. The money wasn't very great and some companies had ships away for 6 weeks with a few days off. The foof/water often ran low too. This was gradually improved and the men got slightly better conditions and 28/28 type rotations. After the Piper Alpha disaster highlighted failings in the SBSV tonnage things improved significantly with better vessels / conditions etc. Nowadays, many 'Stand by' boats or Emergency Evacuation and Response Vessels (EERV's) are purpose built with highly trained crews.....
Hope this highly potted version of the Standby boat history helps. This is only a flavour of things. The true story of SBSV's and the men who manned them is a story worth telling....I think they are the REAL North Sea Tigers !!
Best Regards
Trawldoor (Jake)
P.S. I reckon the ships you saw laid up were a mixture of Seaboard, Viking and North Star ships


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## boulton

Jake, many thanks for that. I do recall a number of the boats in the Edinburgh/Leith docks were painted orange, but I don't remember many of them been side trawlers! Cheers,


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## Trawldoor

Andrew,
No there would be no sidewinders there at that time...only a mixture of Stern Trawlers and early generation supply boats. They usually were of the GOM type which look a bit like stern trawlers also.
Cheers 
Jake


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## Jim Bullough

What happend to the ajax and apolo out of North Shields ?


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## tenterden

the RANGER APOLLO SN148 built 1965 later renamed TURCOMAN H233 foundered 30 mile off vigo 24-11-91
the RANGER AJAX SN147 built 1965 caught fire 17-7-72 off south east tip of greenland and sank the next day


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## billp

hi do you still have photos of these vessels? would love a copy for nostalgia ,as i worked on all of these at rosyth dockyard preparing them for the falklands war, all ships arrived from the noirth sea with their catch still on board,fish were dumped on the dockside! to allow the dockies on board.


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## billp

hi sorry forgot to mention names of vessels that i worked on and would like photos off, farnella ,cordella, junella ,northella ,pict, hope you can help


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## K urgess

billp said:


> hi sorry forgot to mention names of vessels that i worked on and would like photos off, farnella ,cordella, junella ,northella ,pict, hope you can help


Welcome aboard.
A search of the gallery may reveal some pictures of the vessels you're looking for.


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## Stuart K.

Anybody got pics of the Ranger Apollo, Ajax,Aurora etc

I believe these ships were built at Brookes in 1965-66

Aurora is still sailing as stern trawler as Grampian Fury in Uraguay.

Anypics would be welcome


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## davetodd

Stuart K. said:


> Anybody got pics of the Ranger Apollo, Ajax,Aurora etc
> 
> I believe these ships were built at Brookes in 1965-66
> 
> Aurora is still sailing as stern trawler as Grampian Fury in Uraguay.
> 
> Anypics would be welcome


Stuart
Grimsby Reference Library have a photograph of RANGER AJAX SN147
Contact is :-
[email protected]

Regards
Dave


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## ALAN TYLER

The JACINTA is in the fish dock at Fleetwood, you could look round her last year not sure if thats the case now.


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## fiskskip

*Re-photos of the RANGER STERN TRAWLERS.*



Stuart K. said:


> Anybody got pics of the Ranger Apollo, Ajax,Aurora etc
> 
> I believe these ships were built at Brookes in 1965-66
> 
> Aurora is still sailing as stern trawler as Grampian Fury in Uraguay.
> 
> Anypics would be welcome


 been looking for months,for same ships,at last found them,lovely pics,free,at Trawlerphotos.co.uk enjoy,regards.


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## 5036

Starella served as a weather ship, fisheries support vessel and a highly successful survey ship carrying out deepwater sidescan sonar at the forefront of technology and was used by Dr Bob Ballard to find the Bismarck. There are numerous posts on the forum, try putting Starella into the search box.
I sailed on her out of Fleetwood on seabed surveys for an Esso ontract in the North Sea. Skipper's first name was Roy, forget the surname but he would be around 60. As we headed through the Hebridean Sea he identified wrecks on the chart and various relations and friends that had perished in them. Sobering and thought provoking.


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## david m leadbetter

Alan Tyler wrote The Jacinta is in the fish dock at Fleetwood.....

I was in Fleetwood in October 2010 ... The fish dock doesn't. exist anymore but one can view the trawler up on a cradle and part of the tourist scene.

I was most amazed when I looked around Fleetwood. Very little of the town's fishing history was to be seen except for that ship on the stocks.

David L.


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## 5036

The Criscilla became Colonel Templer - A229 - see the "Royal Navy" Forum.


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## Eric G Moodie

*Falkland Trawlers*



tenterden said:


> the CORDELLA H177 built 1973 - sank off new foundland 2005, the FARNELLA H135 built 1972 is now ODYSSEY EXPLORER a marine exploration ship, the JUNELLA H249 built 1975 caught fire and was beached near argentina and was scrapped,the NORTHELLA H206 built1973 became a royal navy training ship, but now scrapped,the PICT H150 built 1973 fished out of nambia under the name FRIENDSHIP but is now scrapped, SEND ME A P-M OF YOUR E-MAIL ADD AND I WILL SEND YOU PHOTOS OF THE SHIPS -- JERRY


I am interested in obtaining photos of the above Trawlers as I was responsible for storing them for the Falklands War and I would like to obtain copies please? There is a photo of them under the Forth Bridge on there return home. Have you a copy of that.


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## snacker

Try www.hulltrawler.net and click the link stern you might find them on there


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## Bobby Shaftoe

*Photos of trawlers*



Eric G Moodie said:


> I am interested in obtaining photos of the above Trawlers as I was responsible for storing them for the Falklands War and I would like to obtain copies please? There is a photo of them under the Forth Bridge on there return home. Have you a copy of that.


I have some photos at home of the J Marr trawlers which I can send to you. Over the years I sailed on the Northella (was on her maiden voyage), Cordella ( when in the Falklands as a fishery patrol vessel), Farnella(during and after her fishing days) and the Junella ( but no photos of her)
I am away at present but should be home in 10 days or so.


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## ruscador

tenterden said:


> the CORDELLA H177 built 1973 - sank off new foundland 2005, the FARNELLA H135 built 1972 is now ODYSSEY EXPLORER a marine exploration ship, the JUNELLA H249 built 1975 caught fire and was beached near argentina and was scrapped,the NORTHELLA H206 built1973 became a royal navy training ship, but now scrapped,the PICT H150 built 1973 fished out of nambia under the name FRIENDSHIP but is now scrapped, SEND ME A P-M OF YOUR E-MAIL ADD AND I WILL SEND YOU PHOTOS OF THE SHIPS -- JERRY


what happened to dane picts sister ship


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## Peter Hewson

Virtually all the Trawlers with a H prefix would have been originally registered in Hull, those ending in `Ella, where owned and operated by “Mars” who themselves came out of the old “Lord Line” The office building is/was still an abandoned shell at the end of the retail park built on the old St Andrews Dock (Fish dock), by the remains of the lock head. As a 15/16 year old, I worked on many of their predecessors (Sidewinders), eventually going “big Boating” as a Marine Engineer. Many family members worked on the Docks and lost jobs when the fishing declined after the “Cod Wars” and the Dock was closed.


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## saltybobuk

Farnella is still sailing as the Empire Persia, presently in Port Skagen as an offshore supply boat.


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## tenterden

RANGER AJAX


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## tenterden

tenterden said:


> the RANGER APOLLO SN148 built 1965 later renamed TURCOMAN H233 foundered 30 mile off vigo 24-11-91
> the RANGER AJAX SN147 built 1965 caught fire 17-7-72 off south east tip of greenland and sank the next day


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