Shetland fisherman Jimmy Fullerton’s long career in the Donvale and Donvale II
The first hint of daylight, as sea becomes discernible from sky, the dark silhouette of Foula stands a lonely sentinel to the west, while most of Hamnavoe sleep.
There is activity in the voe, a creel boat on the move, a fisherman in his 80th year, though his appearance and ability belie his years, doing what he has always done for over 65 years, pursuing his calling as a commercial fisherman.
Early hours are normal, he’s seen many, a little earlier this morning.
He knows the weather will not hold, internet forecasts are his main guide, also aware of the shore braak, and as the sky lightens a band of small dark clouds just above the hill distinctive against a crimson hue to the east, tell this is the best of the day, and promise a gale from the SE quarter.
James Fullerton, born in 1946 at Hamnavoe of a fishing family, named after his father and grandfather both, fishing skippers, not surprising then that Jimmy should follow — becoming a fishing skipper at 23.
Having started with creels as a schoolboy. Then joining his father on the Golden Harvest one of many seiner-drifters belonging to Burra Isle, there he saw drift net fishing as far as Lowestoft, and seine-net landings in Aberdeen.
The Donvale built 1961 a sputnik class trawler was purchased by Jimmy and his partners in 1969,
Some of the crew recalled fetching this boat from Aberdeen, they had occasion to visit one of the dockside pubs, there meeting Magnus Thomson from Yell who they knew had been engineer on the Donvale, enquiring as to the machinery on board, his answer was cold comfort, yes I drove her (was engineer) for two years, and did her no f****n good at all.
Donvale II came in 1985, Jimmy had a new boat, continued to have a good crew and was immediately achieving good results. Within the first year a two crew system was introduced landing locally each Wednesday. This system was sometimes interrupted with landings in Aberdeen, Peterhead, and other ports on the Scottish mainland, making longer trips, also when working as far afield as 100 miles southwest of Rockall and Faroe grounds.
A crew member recalls the first trip to Rockall, they had come within VHF radio range of some of the boats there. “Decca navigator” was the only electronic aid for navigation and charting fishing operations.
A long passage such as this meant changing sectors, i.e. changed by selector switch to receive signal from the nearest or most suitable transmitters, sectors were subdivided into lanes and you could easily select the wrong lane, Jimmy wishing to check this, called one of the nearer boats, and got conformation.
As they proceeded the voice of Jimmy’s friend Tam Harcus skipper of the Orkney Riever came through on the VHF, amid conversation with another trawler. “I think I heard Jimmy Fullerton breaking through earlier, he doesnoo seem ti be sure o’ where he is - Hell; he must be norr west of Foola!” this brought a smile to Jimmy’s face but no comment.
Position was found and good fishing followed, returning to Scalloway with a good shot while fishing had been scarce on the home grounds.
The two crew system continued for about 17 years, during this period Donvale fished along with larger and more powerful boats of the Shetland whitefish fleet yet continued to be among the top five boats in the fleet and some years best grossing boat in Shetland.
One morning having landed in Scalloway, the crew were having breakfast, a well know local character came on board, always on the lookout for a fry or anything going, immediately he noticed Jimmy was not with his usual crew, where was he, he asked, he’s gone to Canada something to do with fish conservation (part of SFA delegation) a pause as our visitor stared as if amazed, then replied “Foish conservaation — I doot dir sent da wrang man — WHA HA HA HA !” bursting into laughter, as was his custom when he came away with something witty or wicked.
With ever tightening quotas and a political will inducing hardship on the Scottish whitefish fleet, were part reason for the Rockall and Faroe trips.
Donvale being well fished did not bring jubilation to everyone and such fishing success was not without its problems, as “Luggie” remembered in Shetland folklore found out, who being convicted of witchcraft was burnt at the stake for catching too much fish.
Jimmy can take comfort he was not fishing in those days.
Amid all this we remember, mending a trawl on the pier at Scalloway, during a period of heavy fishing, Jimmy announced he had to attend a fishing meeting in Lerwick, after he left one of the crew asked, “why is he going to this meeting ? “surly waantin ti be a bit more hated” came the quick answer from another. Such was the humour used freely by the crew.
On a more serious note, this was a difficult time. Jimmy had the responsibility of keeping his and his partners business going and paying 10 of a crew.
Catching fish was the least of the difficulties, being increasingly hindered from doing so by restrictions and encouraging such owners to decommission, saw the Donvale decommissioned and scrapped in 2003.
The last week at sea was spent in the Brent field on a standby job, on the final Sunday evening a tribute was paid to Jonny Cash on the radio, which seemed to add poignancy to the occasion, enough to make you “Cry, Cry, Cry”
Something I found very touching, long after the scrapping, a photo of the Donvale II appeared on social media, a comment from one of Robert Inkster’s daughters, Robert being a partner with Jimmy in both Donvales the comment simply said “That boat gave me a wonderful childhood”
Jimmy found himself on shore in 2003, and could have seen out his days in comfortable retirement, yet in that final week of the Donvale while Jimmy was on watch there was a clue that he would be a fisherman as long as he was able, while listening to the boats still trawling, any fastener or wreck that was mentioned he was still taking note.
This sense of purpose had probably seen him through many hardships and difficult times and blessed him with the good fortune such commitment often brings.
Soon after he was to find himself back at the seine-net with a boat belonging to James Anderson his nephew. This vessel in turn was also eventually scrapped, again Jimmy had the opportunity to retire.
That was not his intention buying a creel boat he was to continue fishing as earnestly as ever.
I spent an afternoon at the creels with him recently and found him changed little in attitude and drive since I had been to sea with him last 23 years previously.
By Joseph Kay