SLEBECH TWO M320
John Stevenson Collection
Official No: 389567 Port Number and Year: 9th in Milford, 1981
Description: Steel side trawler, single screw oil burning motor vessel.
Crew: Registered at Milford: 22 May 1981 Built: 1961, Astilleros de Murueta SA, Guernica, Spain.
Tonnage: 196 grt 91.42 net
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 107 / 21 / 10.8
Engine: Internal combustion engine; oil; 4 single acting 6 cyl. 550 bhp; 11 kts; by Krupp-Maquinista, Barcelona, Spain
Owners:
As LEQUEITIA SECUNDO
1974?: Cia. Lequeitia de Pesqueros S.A., Bilbao, Spain
Renamed SLEBECH TWO
22 May 1981: Betty Fisheries, C Shed, Docks, Milford.
Managing owners: Peter George Wright, 64 Great North Road, Milford
John Edwin Crawford, 1 Leonardston View, Neyland
6 Feb 1986: Oderule, 41 Fish Market, Milford
21 Aug 1986: Nashscope Fishing, Milford
6 Oct 1986: Oderule, 41 Fish Market, Milford
Landed at Milford:
Skippers:
Notes:
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: [Still M320 in Olsen's 1992 edition]
Accidents and Incidents
From the Fishing News of Friday 12th June 1981:
TOP BRITISH skippers are now commanding a trio of 120ft. Spanish trawlers brought in to work from Milford Haven by local fish merchant Peter Wright.
Two are being skippered by ex-Consolidated Fisheries men, Keith Herren and John Loades from Grimsby, who were hit when this firm's Humber-based deep sea fleet collapsed, while former ace local skipper Bill Phillips has taken over the third ship.
Last week one of the trio, named Slebech Two, brought in the first catch of hake which was described by Skipper Phillips as "the best trip at Milford Haven for many years."
The arrival of the trawlers Salmedina, Slebech I and Slebech Two early last month caused a furore among the local industry but, despite this, Mr. Wright is said to be looking to bring in more ships.
The trio will fish hake on the south-west of Ireland grounds and weekly catches are to be "sold wherever gets the best prices," according to Bill Phillips, a top skipper at Milford a decade ago ...
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Slebech Two headed into Milford on Monday last week with a total of 190 kits (12-stone) including a massive 75 kits of hake. She is commanded by Keith Herron of Grimsby. ........... Mate on Slebech Two is Bobby Paul, a former Milford man who had to move to Lowestoft to get a command.
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Slebech I and Slebech Two are owned by Betty Fisheries Ltd., while Salmedina is owned by White Fisheries Ltd.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 19th April 1985:
Various operations with Spanish connections have come and gone from Milford over recent years and the only one now remaining is the firmly established Crickpoint Ltd. The company operates four trawlers and two liners from Milford. Their catches are all boxed at sea and shipped straight to Spain on landing. Although there is some Spanish ownership in the company, a major share-holder is managing director John Crawford of Milford. He stressed that the company is a bona-fide U.K. operation.
"Crickpoint is not a flag of convenience operation - it is a genuine U.K. company, registered in London, with U.K. capital and management, British crews and British registered vessels which comply fully with all Department of transport standards," said Mr. Crawford. "We provide work for around 70 to 80 U.K. fishermen, plus shore staff."
The four trawlers are managed by Mr. Crawford, and the two liners by Mr. Ernie Leach. All the vessels are operated on a share basis.
The trawlers - Milford Star, Slebech, Slebech 2 and Slebech 3 - each work with a crew of 12. They are all over 100ft. with engines in the 550 hp - 1,000 hp range. The vessels work bobbin gear on the roughre grounds further off than those worked by the Milford co-op vessels. They work mainly for hake, ling and megrim on trips of around a fortnight.
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