Harbour News - February 2019
Mallaig HarbourNews: February 2019
CurrentEngineering Issues
Delays have occurred to both Harbour Projects that were highlighted in the January issue of West Word: i) The Passenger Access Pontoons; and ii) The new Mallaig Ice plant.
i) Problems with a prefabricated steel beam which resulted in the need for a new beam to be manufactured and then galvanised has been the main cause of the delay with the Passenger Access Pontoons. Once the beam is on site and in situ all the other components – the access platform, access ramp and the placement of the pontoons – will be able to be placed in position.
The new amended completion date is now the 22nd February 2019. We do apologise for the delay.
ii) Mallaig Harbours new Ice Plant is nearing completion and should become operational by the end of this month.
Thecontainerised Ice Plant arrived from China – it’s country of manufacture – onthe 16th & 17th January and, at the time of writing,is now 95% complete.
Utilityconnections (power, water, broadband line) are proving an issue and that ispart of the reason for the delay in the commissioning of the plant.
Past Times
The Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation Ltd (SFO) calendar for2019 is entitled The Fisher Folk’s Story and it contains historical black &white photos of fishing scenes from the past.
There are a couple of photos of Mallaig Harbour includingthis one, the cover shot of the calendar, which carries the sub-title “ValiantOB191, landing lobsters at Mallaig.
The picture dates back to the late 50’s/early 60’s and wasprobably taken one Saturday morning, the normal day from the Mallaig LobsterSale.
After being away for the week, fishing on the west side (ofthe Hebrides) the Mallaig lobster boats of the time, the “Valiant” owned byJimmy Henderson, the “Beulah” (Jimmy McLean); the “Excellent” (JimmyAitchison); the “Winner” (Willie MacDonald); and the Speedwell (Alex Duncan)among them, would return to Mallaig on the Friday afternoon/evening with theircatch and then “steep” the lobsters in the bay, the line of boxes beingsupported by a buoy at each end – this being done to keep the lobsters alive ofcourse.
On a Saturday morning to save all the boats going out intothe bay to haul up their boxes one or two boats would venture out, pick up theboxes of lobsters and take them back to the pier for the auction which is whyon the deck of the Valiant you can read the name “Excellent OB343” on one ofthe boxes.
When all the boxes were landed onto the pier, the Auctionwould commence with Salesmen Ian MacLennan & Robbie Hepburn eeking out the bestprices for their clients. Some of thebuyers involved around about that time would be George Aitchison; AlexHenderson; Bill Henderson; Andy Duncan; Jimmy Sanderson and Wm Simpson &Sons.
Can you identify the fishermen on board the “Valiant”? Names below.
Robert MacMillan
CEO
01687 462154 info@mallaigharbourauthority.com
Names: (left to right): Duncan Henderson, JimmyHenderson, Jimmy Aitchison, Ian Campbell, Eckie Aitchison, Jimmy Philip.