TRAWLER SOLD

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26832, 10 September 1952, Page 11

TRAWLER SOLD

COASTER TO BE USED FOR CRAYFISHING (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH. September 9. . .4? Greymouth’s most successful fishing trawlers in recent years, g? e £?? ster - has been sold by’Mr Rav . w,lson » of Blaketown, to Port losf lmerS t 0 replace a tr awler recently Built at Port Chalmers and launched m August, 1947, by Messrs Miller and Tunnage, to the requirements of Mr Wilson, the Coaster was brought to Greymouth soon afterwards by Mr Wilson. He will take her back to Port Chalmers via Nelson. Her new owners, ‘t is reported, will use the Coaster for crayfishing at Jackson’s Bay and Big Bay. Although the Coaster has done all her trawling work and hapuka fishes off Greymouth. Teremakau. and Ross, she was one of the first boats to 2 r £ v ®cu e sout h er n waters for crayfish. She made an emergency trip to Jacksons Bay with petrol and oils in August, 1948. under charter to an oil comnany. She returned to Greymouth with a large shipment of live crayfish. When this became known the highly successful crayfishing inwas founded. On that occasion the, Coaster, after discharge at Jackson s Bay, merely prospected a small area for any class of fish, and the haul was a large catch, principally of crayfish, though about that time there were all classes of edible flsh in the vicinity.

The Coaster is to be equipped with modern freezing facilities. She is built of kauri and hardwood, has an overall length of 52ft. a beam of 13ft Bin. and a draught of 7ft 3in. She is equipped with a 120 horsepower engine. She is regarded as one of the best sea-going vessels of her dimensions in commission in the Dominion.

It is likely that it will be some time before the Coaster is replaced at Greymouth.