Terra Nova

That wheelhouse was built and fitted at Ayr shipyard, it did not turn out the way Alex McLeod envisaged when he ordered it but the Ayr yard was not famed for doing good repairs or alterations to fishing boats. Alex was one of the top fishermen of his time, catching plenty with an old boat. There was only one Terra Nova out of Ayr as far as I know. Alex son went with him for a short spell but I don't think he ever skippered the boat. He ended up with the pub across the new Brig that was once called Gordons.

The pub was the famous Gordon Robertson's who used to have the Castle Bar at Ayr harbour. When Alex's son Graham took over he named it Graham's Bar after himself.

The Terra Nova was ex-admiralty and it was the original long wheelhouse with a big mess and galley that was replaced by this wheelhouse.

there was another terra nova which graeme did skipper around 1978-1979 , had rope reels and a kelvin in her was sold to hugh currie and renamed sharona

I don't remember that one, I was on the Wanderer at the time. In saying that my memory is not what it used to be, so you will be right enough. lol

I was on the Sharona with Hugh Curry in the eighties but I thought that was the LH Sharona.

the other terra nova was the LH FREEDOM i think hughie mc phie had her before he got the Sea Fire which he re-named the Freedom - after Alex died his son Graham skippered the boat for a short spell before going ashore and buying a pub - I hope my information is correct

You are probably right Wee Lad I do have vague recollections of it now I think about it.

The Terra Nova went from Newcastle to Southampton where she was used as a "liveaboard", renamed "Emily" and was then broken up a couple of years ago. I have the T6 which was fitted in her. The engine was supplied new to Ivan Boardley, fish salesman, Ayr for fitting in the Terra Nova in 1958 (information from Kelvin factory records). I was told that she was an ex Admiralty MFV. I am working on the Thames this week and if I get a chance am going to pop into the maritime museum and will see if there is any more info on the early years of the TerraNova. I was quite interested to see that she had been a mail boat.
Hope this is of interest.
Rod

I did not have any luck at the National maritime museum: their library is closed for renovation. I did get a very helpful reply from The Scottish fisheries museum. TN was built at Poole dockyard in 1945. When first registered, in 1954, she had a 88hp Kelvin ( I guess a K or L 4) and the owner was Alex McLeod. There were no changes of name or owner up to the time she finished fishing in 1976.
Interesting that she was built on the South coast, Poole, worked all her life in the North and returned to the same area, Southampton, to die.
Rod