'Watchful', BA124, and 'Sapphire', BA182, brailing herring off South Uist, c.1965

'Watchful', BA124, and 'Sapphire', BA182
'Watchful', BA124, and 'Sapphire', BA182
'Watchful', BA124, and 'Sapphire', BA182
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'Watchful', BA124, and 'Sapphire', BA182, brailing herring off South Uist, c.1965
Maidens ring-netters ‘Watchful’ BA124 and ‘Saffron’ BA182 brailing herring in Loch Carnan, South Uist, on a January morning, c 1965

‘Saffron’ BA182 was built in 1951 by A. Noble & Sons, Girvan, for McCrindle brothers, Maidens. She neighboured ‘Margarita II’ BA56 and ‘Investors’ BA117 and was skippered by Willie ‘Pin’ McCrindle and, occasionally, by his brother Angus.

When replaced in 1973 by the bigger and more powerful ‘Saffron’ BA172, she was sold to the Carradale brothers Matthew and Alistair McMillan (skipper) and renamed ‘Maid of Honour’ CN120. In 1977, she was sold to George Rodgers Tait, Longniddry, and became LH120.

In 1984, she was sold to Portavogie, County Down, but retained her name and LH registration.

The ‘Watchful’ BA124 of Maidens, was built by Weatherhead & Blackie, Port Seton, in 1959, and named, by Matt Sloan, her skipper, after the herring-buying steamer, ‘Watchful’, a vessel he had admired. Her neighbour-boat, ‘Wistaria’ BA208, was skippered by Matt’s brother, Billy, and they were among the most successful ring-net fishermen of their time.

One week in January 1956, while ring-netting from Oban, the brothers, with the ‘Bairn’s Pride’ BA315 and ‘Wistaria’, landed a total of 890 crans of herring, which realised £4,435, ‘believed to be a record week’s fishing in Scotland’. (Campbeltown Courier, 19 January 1956).

‘Watchful’ was subsequently ‘Majestic’ SY137 and, c 1980, became ‘Stella Maris’ (CN 158). When decommissioned in 1995 at Campbeltown, she was spared destruction and taken to Ayr harbour to become an open-air exhibit (since neglected). Her forecastle clock is on display in Campbeltown Museum.

Original image from Sam Henderson.
Sam Henderson
Bk7a p7
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