The Story of the Steadfast – Darren Purves

We are grateful to Darren Purves of the Isle of Man who has written this history of the Campbeltown-built Steadfast LH 90 (Yard No. 4).

The Steadfast was the first boat I went to sea on, in 1997. I was 11, she was owned by my step-dad, Frankie Horne. I spent a lot of weekends and school holidays on her, the pictures below are a mixture of ones I’ve taken myself and ones I’ve gathered up over the years. I have a full photo album of her that I built up until now and have newspaper reports from Fishing News and Commercial Fishing magazine.

Campbeltown Shipyard launched the Yard No. 4, Steadfast LH 90  for Eyemouth Skipper,  John Horne, in late 1970. She was built with a Kort steering nozzle and a had transom stern, fitted with a Cummins NH-250-M 194hp main engine. She was designed to single and pair trawl for white fish and she paired at one point with the Silver Viking LH 267. She was sold to Wick Skipper, Donald Sutherland, in the early 1980’s and re-registered as Steadfast WK 20. She was then sold to Danny Neill of Peel, Isle of Man in 1983, where she was rigged for scalloping and re-named Sustain PL 25 and skippered by his brother, Tony. In 1986 she was bought by Douglas Skipper, Denny Moore and re-named Peter-M PL 25 and modernised with the addition of a whaleback at Holyhead Shipyard. Her steering nozzle was also welded in place and a rudder fitted. Skipper Moore fished the now pale blue hulled vessel until 1994 when she was bought by Peel Skipper, Frankie Horne, who fished the vessel for scallops and “queenies” around the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland.

In 1999 she was damaged by fire at Ramsey Shipyard while undergoing a galley extension and she was then extensively rebuilt. She was bought by Billy Caley in 2000 and skippered by Alan Woodbridge of Ramsey who fished the vessel around the Isle of Man and the East and West Coast of Scotland for scallops. After a lay up in Ramsey, she was again rebuilt, her bow was chopped and shortened to get her under 15 metre, re-engined and new winches fitted and painted red by Ramsey Skipper Charlie Boyce, fishing around the Isle of Man for Scallops and “queenies’

Darren Purves

The Steadfast LH90 (Yard No.4) was built at Campbeltown Shipyard in 1970 for John Horne of Eyemouth. This photo was taken by her second owner, Donald Sutherland – she was renumbered WK 20 in 1983. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast (originally LH 90) arriving at the Isle of Man c, 1984. Photo taken by Michael Craine and courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Sustain PL 25 in 1984. Peel breakwater. Photograph taken by Michael Craine. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Sustain PL 25 in 1984. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. In Douglas, Isle Man. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. In this photograph we can see a young Darren, with his two sisters Nicola and Francesca – pictured in Ramsay Shipyard. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. In this photograph she is pictured in a trawler race. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. In this photograph we can see her decorated for Christmas. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

The Campbeltown-built Steadfast became the Peter M PL 25 in 1987. Courtesy of Darren Purves.

 

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