NUEVO MATARO M209
Official No: 137780 Port Number and Year: 9th in Milford, 1936
Description: Wooden side trawler, carvel built; steam screw, coal burning. Pareja (Spanish) method.
Ketch rigged: foresail, lugsail and mizzen.
Crew: 11 - 10 men
Registered at Milford: 12 Oct 1936
Built: 1930; by Francisco Cardama, Vigo.
Tonnage: 106.04 grt 51.97 net.
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 80.9 / 18.1 / 10.5
Engine: T-3Cyl. 11 nhp. Union Naval de Levante, Grao-Valencia
Owners:
As MATARO
1930: Gumersindo Roura, Vigo
c. 1932: Renamed NUEVO MATARO
12 Oct 1936: Pembroke Hake Fishing Co., Docks, Milford
Manager: R. L. Hancock
24 Feb 1948: Peter Hancock & Sons, 'Westaway', Picton Rd., Hakin
Manager: E. V. Pennington
Landed at Milford: 16 Jul 1931 - 14 Sep 1933; 27 May 1935; 26 Sep 1936 - 3 Oct 1940
Skippers:
Notes: 27 Sep 1942 - 31 Jan1946: Requisitioned for harbour service.
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 17 Apr 1948. Vessel used as a lighter.
Accidents and Incidents
From an unknown local newspaper from the week beginning 27th September 1936:
A daring and enterprising experiment, which may have an important influence on the fishing industry generally, is to be tried out in Milford. The scheme was propounded by the well-known firm of Peter Hancock and Sons, ship builders and trawler owners, and the proposals include the purchase of Spanish trawlers, or parejas, to give them their proper name.
In spring and summer time the arrival of these peculiar-looking craft in pairs is familiar to everyone in Milford, and until the quota of supply was imposed under the Sea Fisheries Act, they were the cause of much controversy in the industry. The results they obtained in actual fishing, however, were remarkable, and for the past five years they have landed large quantities of hake on the Milford market.
A syndicate of businessmen was formed to purchase the Spanish vessels Nuevo Mataro and Nuevo Caldas. They are of the bold, seaworthy type, which have so successfully operated out of the port for a number of years. Expert Spanish fishermen have been engaged under a special permit to instruct British fishermen in the Spanish method of fishing, which will be to the local fishermen a new art. The vessels were immediately placed in dry dock for classification and registration under the British flag.
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From an unknown local newspaper from the week beginning 4th October 1936:
Two well-known skippers have been engaged for the Spanish trawlers. They are Messrs. Albert Nichols and A. Jennings, and they will have local crews, with the exception of the expert Spanish fishermen who will instruct the crews in their method of fishing.
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From an unknown local newspaper from the week beginning 25th October 1936:
The Nuevo Caldas and Nuevo Mataro returned to Milford on Thursday night and landed their first trip on Friday morning. The trip consisted of 112 kits, of which 20 were hake. Skippers Jenning and Nicholls both stated that weather conditions were very bad, which handicapped them considerably in their operations. In spite of this, the boats proved fine, able ships. The Spanish method of fishing they found to be very intricate and highly technical, and totally different from any previous English system with which they had had experience. The British members of the crew were exceedingly keen to learn the new system, and the results from this initial trip were considered highly satisfactory. The Spanish owner, Senor Don Jose Routa, has remained in Milford and co-operated with the new owners in arranging matters, and is well pleased with the progress made.
The fish was sold by Mr. Alan Hancock of the firm of Messrs. Peter Hancock and Sons, and the catch realised the satisfactory sum of £251. The first kit of hake sold was purchased by Mr. Bert Tully for the sum of £7 5s, and this was generously given by the new owners to the public fund in aid of the widow and family of the late Skipper F. Hastings who was recently lost overboard at sea from the s.t. Lily McRae, and being a share fisherman was unfortunately uninsured.
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