Living Silver 



Gradually the new ships became more common. A couple of 

 them even sailed from Aberdeen, long-distance vessels carrying 

 two distinct crews so that, for the first time in the history of 

 trawling, men were able to get a normal night's or a day's sleep. 

 Ports like Fleetwood and Lowestoft specialised in the oil-burners, 

 and not all of these were designed for distant waters. Before the 

 war, the Lowestoft trawling fleet had been the most antiquated in 

 the country. Even sailing smacks had formed part of it, along with 

 sailing scrap-heaps that had been resigned by owners in Aberdeen, 

 Grimsby, and Shields. Some of the smacks, however, had been 

 converted to diesel as early as 1938 and this fact had given the 

 Lowestoft men an inkling into the advantages of the new type of 

 engine. If a fifty-year-old ship could be rejuvenated by it then 

 surely a brand new diesel driven craft would compete favourably 

 with any steamship? So, while other ports went to the dogs on 

 steam, Lowestoft began a building programme that, within ten 

 years of the war, gave her a fleet of small oil-burning inshore 

 trawlers, more efficient than those of any other port in the country. 

 To begin with, oil had been expensive but suddenly its price had 

 plummeted and it had become cheaper to run on oil than on coal. 

 Then, and only then, did the other ports wake up to what was 

 happening; but, by that time, Lowestoft had a safe lead and was 

 beginning to capture their markets. 



Meanwhile Hull and Grimsby, though they had fallen far behind 

 with their inshore fleets, had been producing new large trawlers 

 for work in the faraway coldnesses of the Hindenberg Line and 

 Bear Island. It was expensive to journey so far north. One week 

 out and one week back left only one week for fishing unless the 

 trip was to run well over the three week normal. And all the time 

 fuel was being consumed, crews were being paid and fed, ice was 

 melting. Had it not been for the richness of these grounds the 

 operation would have been impossible. But the richness was 

 there. Put any old bag over the side and she'd bring up the price 

 of a diamond bracelet. The fish were big, too, and there were 

 fewer wrecks and other snags, so that there was less wear and tear 



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