RIP skipper Bill Tate.

 

Silver Fern of Newlyn PZ1919.

One of Newlyn's long time skipper owners, Bill Tate, died shortly before Christmas aged 85.

Bill had been stationed at RNAS Culdrose but, like a handful of other exNavy guys, saw an opportunity in the fishing industry when he retired from her Majesty's Senior Service. An early investment in a clinker-built boat from Newhaven and named Joan after his wife saw both him and Joan fish together and join the then growing, mackerel fishery in the early 70s. His next boat, the Mes Filles saw him mackereling in the winter then joining the boom that was crawfish netting using nylon tangle nets. It was at that time that I made two 'pleasuring' trips on the Mes Filles along with David 'Dumps' Hichens, Anthony Hobin and Frank Busby, the first time was handlining for mackerel 

the day after the Conqueror ran aground off Mousehole, the second was a day on the craws tanglenetting - I spent most of both days curled in a heap on the floor of the wheelhouse thinking, "Jeez, you can't even get off!"

Eventually, Bill invested in a much larger boat, the 56' Silver Fern built at Fairlie for Andy McCrindle in 1950. Bill fished successfully with the boat first longlining then, like many others changing over to multi-mono then monofilament nylon fishing primarily on wrecks and for hake until the 1990s when St Ives man, Billy Bunn took over as skipper for Bill who went shore skipper and eventual retirement.

In the days when the Mission was the hub of Newlyn fishing life I remember a tablefull of us being entertained early one morning by one of Bill Tate's many stories - told with a wry smile but without exaggeration. As he told it, he, and dozens of other small Newlyn men had left Falmouth at the end of the mackerel season all stretched out from Carrick Roads,  around the Manacles and headed for the Lizard. The weather was a bit scuffly and visibility poor. The mackerel boats mainly used VHF Channel 8 while they were at sea to communicate with one another, but the boats also always monitored Channel 16, the emergency channel.  Bill heard one of the Porthleven men on a small 30ft tosher, Leven Mor, calling on Channel 16 giving his position and enquiring after another vessel some 5 or six miles south of the Lizard that appeared to have been stationary for some time giving the Porthleven man cause for concern. The ship in question had identified itself by name including the letters ULCC and thanked the skipper for his concern and offer of assistance saying that he was drifting very slowly with temporary engine problem. The Leven Mor skipper immediately offered the boat a tow (obviously mindful, as ever, of the opportunity that such a situation might present for a Lloyds Open Book salvage opportunity). Intrigued, Bill upped the range on his radar only to see a blip on his radar in his words, the size of a f*****g matchbox! So here we had a 35ft, 25 ton wooden fishing boat offering a tow to an Ultra Large Crude Carrier of some 550,000 tonnes! Bill was never sure if the ULCC skipper was aware that the offer of assistance in the first place was genuine or not!

There will be a celebration of Bill's Life at Treswithian Downs Crematorium, Camborne on Friday 6th January 2023 at 10am. Donations in aid of The Fisherman's Mission and The Stroke Association may be made via www.pendlefunerals.org.uk 

All enquiries to Pendle Funeral Services, Helston. 

Tel: 01326 573080.