The Cellardyke Echo – 15/1/2026 – Issue 516

1905

On Thursday last week a heavy gale of south-west wind was blowing, and coxswain Sutherland decided to ive the new lifeboat a trial under the gale, the signal having been fired, the boat was launched and manned by crew No, 2. They proceeded to North Berwick where the boat was visited and favourably criticised by the fishermen there. On their return to Anstruther the crew commented favourably on the merits of the boat, especially in & heavy wind. Itis the intention of the coxswain to try the boat’s qualities in the first south-east gale, when the sea is usually heavier than in westerly winds.

Sale of a fishing boat – The large new fishing boat recently built by Mr Fulton has just been purchased by Messrs Robert and David Anderson Cellardyke. The craft is about 70ft long, in similar design and workmanship to those formerly supplied to Cellardyke owners by the same builder, and which have given so much satisfaction. Ample time is given for the fitting up of the boat, which is not required until the spring fishing. ( the boat was launched in March and called the Sunbeam)

Anstruther The very successful start which the fishing had in the middle of last week was continued on Friday, when the large fleet of 89 boats entered the harbour, including three from Inverness, three from Peterhead, and about a score from the Aberdeen and Montrose districts. …..

The fishermen intended to have gone off to the fishing at an early hour on Monday morning, and several of the smaller craft went to Elie to enable them to get out quicker, the inner harbour of Anstruther being very crowded. A severe gale made this impassible and the boats had to lie in the harbour until the afternoon when all got away with a favourable wind. Unfortunately, there was a renewal of the gale throughout the night, and very few of the boats reached the harbour by the morning tide. In the afternoon about half of the fleet arrived, and made the harbour with same difficulty. One Cellardyke boat, the Reliance, struck the concrete pier with some force, and damaged her stem, necessitating a new one being put in. A Peterhead boat ran ashore on the east beach, and also suffered some damage. The fishing was light, there being an average of three crans, or 156 crans of a total. The prices ranged from 27s to 33s.

OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT. J. SMITH, BEGS to intimate to the Inhabitants of CELLARDYKE ANSTRUTHER, and Surrounding Districts that he has commenced a DRAPERY BUSINESS at 38 John Street, Cellardyke, and hopes by paying strict attention to Business to merit a share of Public Patronage. J. SMITH, 38 John Street, Cellardyke.

CELLARDYKE HARBOUR CONTRACT DISPUTE.—We understand that the dispute over the contract between the contractors, Messrs Adams, Glasgow, and the Town Council has been amicably settled, and further litigation will be unnecessary.

SCOTTISH BANKRUPTS……..  Alexander Cathro, grocer. James Street. Cellardyke, carrying on a business  there under the name of Cathro and Company. Meeting to be held at twelve on Friday, 20^th January, in the Commercial Hotel Anstruther

FISHERMEN “HECKLERS.” CAPTAIN ELLICE AT CELLAIIDYKE. RETALIATION AND THE HERRING TRADE. Continuing his tour the Anstruther district, Captain Ellice addressed a public meeting of fishermen in Cellardyke Town Hall on Saturday evening. There was an attendance about thirty. Ex-Provost Thomson presided. The Captain first of all spoke of the number of questions which had been dealt with during the last session Parliament relating to fishermen. There was the question of the Norwegian fishermen in the Moray Firth, and after being investigated it was found that in reality these fishermen belonged to Grimsby. The Government had taken some action in the matter of illegal trawling.  He had strong feelings about the trawling questions, because there was a law that prohibited trawlers fishing within the three-mile limit. They were in reality poachers, and there were police for land poachers the Government should capture these poachers of the sea. (Applause.) A Bill had been introduced by Scottish members to regulate the whaling industry in Shetland, but this had been blocked. A Commission reported on the matter, and he hoped something would be done next session. (Applause.)

EXCITING SCENES AT ANSTRUTHER HARBOUR. For the last two nights very exciting scenes were witnessed at Anstruther harbour. The “neap” tides on Saturday prevented between 50 and 60 boats getting into the inner harbour, and as a severe south-east gale sprang up during the afternoon, and enormous seas were swept over the east pier into the outer harbour, they lay in a position of great danger. At night hundreds of fishermen congregated the piers and lent willing assistance to haul the boats inside, but as the boats already inside blocked the entrance, being unable to get further up the harbour for want of water, this was matter of some difficulty. Ultimately fully thirty more were crushed inside, but many of the fishermen remained on board all night in case of emergency. Last night a similar scene was witnessed. The very unusual action was taken of sending the town officer with the bell through Cellardyke summoning all the fishermen to attend at the harbour between seven and eight o’clock to give assistance to bring in the renaming boats. Almost every fisherman responded, and the middle and west piers were crowded with fishermen and spectators watching. Fortunately, there was a bigger tide, and the boats inside got further up the inner harbour, thus making room for the score of boats in the outer harbour, and by nine o’clock all were got safely in with comparatively little damage. There is a fleet of 150 boats in Anstruther at present prosecuting the fishing, and the want of deeper water in the harbour very much felt, but the incidents of the last two nights are likely to lead to a strong agitation, and an appeal being made to the Treasury to assist the Harbour Commissioners financially to carry out an imperative harbour extension, in which deeper water would be provided. Large numbers of fishermen remained on board their boats till an early hour this morning, and until the tide receded.

The Aberdeen liner White Queen, belonging Mr Thomas Walker, Aberdeen, has been purchased by Messrs John Birrell and Robert Moncrieff, Cellardyke.