Orkney Image Library

Any idea what became o the "Watchful" ?

I owned MFV 'Watchful' in the late 70's. Bought her in Gateshead in 1976 and brought her down south to a mooring on the river Roach (Thames estuary). Realised her upkeep was beyond my pocket and sold her on in 1979 to a couple of guys who intended to convert her for diving charters. To be based somewhere on the south coast. Don't know what happened to her after that but would like to know where she is now.

Hi Allan, You wouldn't have a photo of the 'May Lilly' that used to run from Stromness to Flotta with stores do you ?

The late David Matheson(MCA Surveyor & "St Ola" Chief Engineer)and Stevie Mowat purchased her from the OISC in 1976. They sold her on to folk who I think were in the Scrap trade around Tyneside (possibly those who sold her to John Smith). Angus Sinclair, myself & Mac Bain senior(Engineer)with a sleeping bag each, a box of groceries and basic "Seavoice" VHF borrowed from the "Jessie Ellen" delivered her to North Shields. Interesting trip to say the least, sole means of navigation Magnetic compass & paper charts and Mk1 eyeballs! After Angus removing some lorry mirrors mounted around the compass going down the Flow we took a set of bearings and found the error dramatically reduced! Thank goodness as we had fog from just South of Aberdeen till we made next landfall at the Longstone off Northumberland coast. Fortunately it stayed clear till we made it in to N Shields Fish Quay.
We'd had a breakfast and a hot shower each tied up alongside the supply boat "Stirling Oak" (which I was Mate on at the time) conveniently anchored off Peterhead as we passed. North Shields RNMDSF showers were most welcome though we had heat, a good electric cooker and flush toilet. Despite lying idle for many months the old boat ran remarkably well apart from Mac having to repair 1 cooling pipe with an inner tube and jubilee clips crossing the Moray Firth. She had a Blackstone main engine of 160hp and a 2 cyl 28hp Gardner generator for 220volt supply. Geordie Scrappy paid us in cash for the boat and our expenses so after rapidly finding a Bank to tranfer money home we hired a car and drove to Aberdeen to fly home next day. Saga didn't end there though after 2 round trips over Grimsetter in blind fog with BA Viscount we were back in Aberdeen for another night. We cut our losses and took a refund from BA, fortunately a young Ralph Stevenson was serving his time at Aberdeen Technical college and had a Mk2 Cortina. As it was Saturday we paid him to take us up to Inverness early enough to catch the train to get the 1200 OLA home - a wise move as it was still foggy. I'm only sorry I didn't have decent photos to go with the story.