What was the weather like in the Artic Ocean? Harry Day 1

The weather? Sometimes terrible. Really terrible. Other times good. It was dangerous when it was bad.

 

Were you ever frightened on the trawler?

Frightened? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was frightening sometimes. But you just had to be careful.

 

What was the worst thing about life on the trawlers?

The conditions on the boat was cramped. Very cramped… I’m trying to think back 30 years now. Yeah, very cramped and stuffy and seasick.

 

What do you do in bad weather?

What would you do? You’ve got to batten everything down so no water could get in, and then hope for the best. And you would ease the engine in so as to make it ride the seas better.

 

What was the scariest time on the trawler?

The most scary time is when they lay over on their side and you’ve just got to hope they come back. I was in a lock-to and all the coal moved when it actually rolled over to one side. And the fish room then was half full of coal. And it would move when it rolled heavy and unbalance the ship.

 

How did you start working on the trawlers?

Well, I was single then and so when I left school my father took me down to the dock and took me to the firm and said “Here’s a galley boy for you”. And that was my introduction to fishing.

 

Did the “Headscarf Campaign” make things safer on the trawlers?

Oh, yeah. They did a good job between them. And you finished up, you couldn’t go without a radio operator and you was fully manned all the time. Because sometimes you would sail with men short, and it made life very hard.

 

What was it like fishing in winter?

In winter in heavy seas it was terrible. You had to keep one hand for yourself and one to do your job with one hand. That’s all you could do, otherwise when a sea came over the rail it would knock you off your feet. Then your thigh boots would get full and make life very hard. And also very cold as well.