Lasher, KY 25 and Noontide, KY163

Both vessels were standard steam drifters owned by the Brunton Family of James Street, Cellardyke, unusually both vessels retained their Admiralty names.

The Lasher was built by Alex Hall & Co of Aberdeen in 1920. She was first registered as a fishing vessel by James Brunton Snr as KY 25. She was later sold on and re-registered BF 79. She finished her fishing days as Golden Ring,  LT 408 and was scrapped in 1957.

There is an excellent model of the Lasher in the Scottish Fisheries Museum built by arguably, the finest fishing vessel model maker of his generation, P A Rumbelow, of Yarmouth. Even although he suffered  from extreme sea sickness, Rumbelow struck up friendships with the skippers and crews and take a trips on the vessels he modelled.

NOONTIDE KY163

The Noontide was  built in 1918 by Colby Brothers, Lowestoft.  When brought to the East Neuk in 1948  she was first registered as KY6 but quickly changed to KY163.

When Jimmy Brunton Jnr gave up the Sea in 1953, the vessel was sold to Yarmouth and re-registered YH33. She was broken up in 1960 in Charlestown, Fife. It was one of the last steam vessels to go to the scrapyard. John Deas a crew member of the Noontide had recently married decided not to go back to the deep sea fishing. He commissioned his own vessel, The Fruitful, KY40 to work inshore at the creels. It was launched from Jas N Miller’s yard in St Monans in 1955 and has recently been restored by the Scottish Fisheries Museum. The Fruitful II, also built by Millers, was the vessel that was used to transport Cellardyke Sea Queen from Anstruther to Cellardyke Harbour for her crowning ceremony.