# Looking for dimensions of Marr trawler Brucella



## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

Something that went off the boil for me but as a modeller as well as a bit of a ship nut, I'd be keen to utilise the Revell Trawler kit , currently posing as Ross Jackal to do an at least representative version of Brucella after reading Hugh Popham's Cape of Storms a while back. I've managed quite a few photos off the nett but scour the googleshere as I might, I can'r find any dimensions for Brucella. Plenty for other Marr vessels from the Fleetwood Motor Trawlers | Part of The Bosun's Watch website but not Brucella & nothing to tie her into a sister vessel I could see. Hoping that the knowledge on this site could point me closer to where I want to go.
Thanks.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Hi shintz my dad was chief on the BRUCELLA H291 When she was new in1953, she was built at Beverley, by Cook,Welton,Gemmell. She was 175 ft long and 31.7 ft in breadth. She was scrapped in 1977, my dad was the last crew member on board. Gross tons678,net tons248, my dads fav out of all the Hull trawlers he sailed on. Hugh pophams book is a great read, he did a trip on the BRUCELLA AROUND 1955 Dad was on board on the same trip. Regards rustytrawler.


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## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

Hi Rustytrawler, thanks for that. According to what I can find on the Ross Jackal, Brucella would be somewhat larger, in the region of about 40% but then I'm not sure how accurate for the Jackal the kit is, it has been around in many guises for ages, looking at info for the kit at its quoted scale, it is only slightly smaller than Brucella so I think it might do the job. I also don't know how accurate the info I found for The Jackal was.
It won't be intended to be an exact replica but a representation, with changes made to obvious differences like bridge window lay out, side companionway supports(?, the pillars that hold the rear deck up at the sides) & other bits like that. I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains for this again though I'm not sure when I'll get around to it. I'd like to get myself a copy of Pophams book, I very much enjoyed it, hell they earnt their money those guys. We had a side winder trawler, (Boston Seafire) fishing out of Nelson NZ, when I was very much younger but I think it was adapted to seining rather than deep trawling. I always liked the look of her though. Thanks again for the info.
Steve.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Ithink it was in the 80s when J MARR & SON sold the Hull freezer trawler CORDELLA to a company called SKEGS SEAFOOD in N.Z. dad was chief the CORDELLA and they sailed from Hull to N.Z....Iwas told that the CORDELLA was to large for SKEGS, and it was sent bacK to J MARR, that was one of the Hull trawlers that went to the Falklands (is SKEGS still on the go)...Dad said he had a department store in N.Z. ....A book that will help you is called...HULL'S SIDE-FISHING TRAWLER FLEET 1946-86 BY MICHAEL THOMPSON .


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

According to the 1955 edition of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, Brucella was 175.1' in length, 31.6' in breadth and 14.2' in depth. Further information can be found by viewing the register, available via here: Digital resources

Dave W


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## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

Thanks Dave W for the link, I wasn't aware of that so it'll be very handy.
Rustytrawler, thanks for the book suggestion, I'll search one out. Cordella was fishing out of Bluff in our deep south into the 90s anyway, according to Shipspotting, that is her in Skeggs colours. Skeggs is still about, fingers in many pies I think, not sure what their deep sea involvement is now, they were always out of Bluff or Dunedin afaik, we get Sea Lord & Talleys here in Nelson.
Your Dad must have had a fascinating career, away for long periods though, I'm guessing it would have been hard when you were young but perhaps when its all you know & most others about are likewise you get on with it.


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

As a family, we where all involved in one way or another with trawlers. Repairs, service et all. It was regarded more as an existence than a life. I elected to go "big boating", having seen it a first hand. Lost a number of ex school mates, over the years. 13 kids in our year at school lost a family member when Lorella and Roderigo went. My best mate at school`s brother was the only survivor from Ross Cleveland. Would never talk about it. Some hard people, but also some of the best ever. 

Pete


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

On 1 dec 1984 CORDELLA H177 left Hull and headed for Skeggs seafoods N.Z.....Michael Thompson also compiled the book HULL& GRIMSBY STERN FISHING FLEET 1961-88 .Regards rustytrawler


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

In Jan 1962 my Dad sailed out of Hull on the BRUCELLA, On the 30 Jan they were fishing of the coast of Norway when two men were washed away, bos'n Ian Rylett and third hand Herbert Jennings had gone, the crew inc my dad looked for them but no chance in them rough Jan sea's .Two injured men were put in at Tromso, two replacements were flown out so the shaken crew could carry on fishing . Mr Rylett left a wife and two children, MrJennings left a wife and eight children six girls and two boys, One of his sons Leslie age 18 sailed on the St MARK on the same day his Dad Herbert was washed away and did not find out about his Dads loss until he returned home from the fishing grounds three weeks later. what a tragic story. So the HullTRAWLER BRUCELLA like all Hull trawlers had it's own story to tell......R.I.P..........Herbert's other son Albert also went to sea fishing out of Hull and still lives there.How my Dad did 47 years on them and came home safe after every trip i do not know but what i do know is we are a very lucky family. regards rustytrawler.


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## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

Peter & RT, after reading the Popham book specifically & other time over the years, I look in on the Hull Trawler Facebook group too & have looked up various incidents mentioned on there, I can only try to imagine the effects of such losses on a tight knit community as you refer to in your posts above. RIP indeed.


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

You may be able to obtain a copy of the plans for this vessel. When Cochrane's closed, their archives went to the
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. If you want to, contact the plans and photographic department there.

Dave W


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Cook, welton. and gemmell built the BRUCELLA at their shipyard at Beverly. Did Cochranes end up with the drawings? Cochranes were great rivals of C.W.G. when it came to building Hull trawlers they were based at Selby both used C.D Holmes Hull to engine them.


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## shinz (Sep 29, 2018)

wightspirit said:


> You may be able to obtain a copy of the plans for this vessel. When Cochrane's closed, their archives went to the
> National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. If you want to, contact the plans and photographic department there.
> 
> Dave W


Thanks for the suggestion Dave. I need to decide how serious I want to get with this, if the kit is proportionally close to Brucella, then I will adapt it as best I can, if not, I'd still like to do a sidewinder trawler, but maybe one closer to the kits dimensions.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Cochranes did not build the BRUCELLA


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Cook, welton and Gemmell built hundreds of Hull trawlers at their Beverly shipyard. Beverly is about 12 miles by river to reach Hull, the ships they built were launched sideways into the narrow river Hull and towed down the river to the river Humber it sometimes took four tides to go the 12 miles to Hull, once in Hull C,D, Holmes fitted the engines


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

Yes, my mistake! Cook, Welton & Gemmell it is! It is possible plans exist. According to 'Modern British Shipbuilding a Guide To Historical Records' various yard numbers for plans for this company are listed under the archives of Thomas McLaren & Co, a former shipbroking concern. These plans are held by Glasgow Museum of Transport but a full listing can be obtained from the Scottish Record Office. If anyone knows the yard number for Brucella I can say one way or the other if there are plans for Brucella and where they can be accessed.

Dave W


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Have a look at trawling through times cook,welton gemmell , at E,Yorks archives. You can also look on FLICKR built in Beverley grovehill, the largest trawler builders in the world, some great pictures on this site and it show's how narrow the river Hull is. You can watch the launch of the GEORGE IRVING, on Yorkshire film archive,Beverley shipyard, i think she is heading to south Africa.(1953)


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## Peter Hewson (Mar 12, 2019)

_Brucella_ (H291), 1953. IMO 5054018 . Yard No Believed to be 867?. Cook Welton and Gemmell.

Pete


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## wightspirit (Feb 15, 2008)

In that case - yard number 867 is not listed in the McLaren archives...

Dave W


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