How big was the engine? Terry Thresh 1

Terry Thresh 1

 

How big was the engine?

The boats engine, well it varied. From the begining we would probably have an engine of about 800 horse power, steam engine in the early trawlers but my last ship was 4400, sorry 4800 horse power, a big diesel engine but a much bigger ship of course.

 

How much fuel did you use?

A trip to Iceland in the days of coal about 240 tons. Oil something similar 180 tons or maybe that was diesel or heavy oil for the oil burners in the early days probably about 250 tons again but the engineers would tell you this and certainly the diesel ships, trawlers like the corsair for instance about 180 tons. But usually you had oil left when you came back with that amount.

 

Why did boys of 16 go to sea?

Why did boys of 16 years of age go to sea at that time? And the reason for that is that we had an evironment, we lived on Hessle Road. 70 per cent of the fishermen who went to see came from Hessle Road and it was a community. So brothers followed other brothers etc. Families, there were familes of whole fishermen one after another who went to sea. And you said about the job. The job where do we start? It's a whole lecture to tell you about the job. Basically you went to sea, you steamed off for up to four or five days up to the fishing grounds, you fished for about 10 to 12 days, and then steamed back home. The work to going to and from the fishing grounds was not particularly hard and you got more sleep. But on the grounds the work was very hard. Hawling shooting, gutting the fish, mending the net, cracking ice off the rigging and all the things that went with trawlers in those areas.