Peterhead, Port of Refuge
May 25, 2022
25 May 21. HM 118. Peterhead eats, breathes and sleeps FISH - and has a Harbour Master to match! Please meet Captain John Forman.
Taught by his father, in 1979 John became Peterhead's youngest trawler Skipper at just 21. As an engineer he has also designed and built fishing boats - inventing his own way to gut and process fish on board in order to reduce manpower. After 25 years he went back to college and got his "Masters" ticket working in the oil and gas industry, but not liking the month on month off rota (he got bored in the month off!) he returned to college as a lecturer. John then gained the post of Senior Assistant HM (SAHM) within Peterhead Port and after 14 months was promoted to HM. He has been chair of the Harbour Commissioners and overseen huge developments in what is now Europe's largest fish landing port. Peterhead is also a significant North Sea energy support vessel HQ. Quite a career!
Peterhead is a famous and unusual "Port of Refuge" and its huge outer harbour walls welcomed Good Dog after a rough rounding of Rattray Head. Alongside the booming fishing industry of the 19th C went a high loss of life. Some storms would result in the deaths of complete fishing communities (see Eyemouth later). In 1887 parliament was petitioned to finance several "Ports of Refuge" along the east coast of the UK. In Scotland only one was actually built, here in Peterhead. To provide enough labour, the town had to agree to house a large "convict" prison to supply the workforce. Having first built their own prison (!), in 1892 the convicts set about labouring on the south breakwater (photo 4 and 5) only finishing it in 1912. To illustrate the size of the project, the north breakwater was only completed in 1956 (photo 6).
In the town I found a thriving Seafarers' Mission looking after the many foreign fishermen in port - photo 8 shows a poster illustrating their work vaccinating for Covid. Thank you John for a very memorable visit to your vibrant and diverse harbour.
Taught by his father, in 1979 John became Peterhead's youngest trawler Skipper at just 21. As an engineer he has also designed and built fishing boats - inventing his own way to gut and process fish on board in order to reduce manpower. After 25 years he went back to college and got his "Masters" ticket working in the oil and gas industry, but not liking the month on month off rota (he got bored in the month off!) he returned to college as a lecturer. John then gained the post of Senior Assistant HM (SAHM) within Peterhead Port and after 14 months was promoted to HM. He has been chair of the Harbour Commissioners and overseen huge developments in what is now Europe's largest fish landing port. Peterhead is also a significant North Sea energy support vessel HQ. Quite a career!
Peterhead is a famous and unusual "Port of Refuge" and its huge outer harbour walls welcomed Good Dog after a rough rounding of Rattray Head. Alongside the booming fishing industry of the 19th C went a high loss of life. Some storms would result in the deaths of complete fishing communities (see Eyemouth later). In 1887 parliament was petitioned to finance several "Ports of Refuge" along the east coast of the UK. In Scotland only one was actually built, here in Peterhead. To provide enough labour, the town had to agree to house a large "convict" prison to supply the workforce. Having first built their own prison (!), in 1892 the convicts set about labouring on the south breakwater (photo 4 and 5) only finishing it in 1912. To illustrate the size of the project, the north breakwater was only completed in 1956 (photo 6).
In the town I found a thriving Seafarers' Mission looking after the many foreign fishermen in port - photo 8 shows a poster illustrating their work vaccinating for Covid. Thank you John for a very memorable visit to your vibrant and diverse harbour.