Former local fishing boat takes up new role

FORMER local fishing boat the Opportune has taken up a fresh career in her new home in Hartlepool, County Durham.

After 40 years in the fishing industry with the Bremner Fishing Company, the Opportune landed her last catch at Scrabster in November last year.

The seine-netter was given a fond farewell as she set sail from Scrabster en route to Peterhead on the first stage of her voyage to Hartlepool to take up a new role in the offshore wind sector.

While in Peterhead the local boat swapped her WK171 registration for HL6 and her seine-net and catch-handling machinery was removed.

The retiral of the Opportune, built in 1979, coincided with the retirement of skipper David Fraser, of Lybster, who worked on the boat the entire time she was in service locally.

The skipper's duties in the wheelhouse did not come to an end until he delivered the seine-netter safely to Hartlepool ready to take up her duties as a guard ship at an offshore wind farm.

To mark the end of the era, the Bremner Fishing Company, donated the last box of fish from the boat to the Seafarers Memorial Group in Wick.

Related article: Last catch for Wick-registered fishing boat after 40 years

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