David N Tod – B.E.M.
(1941-2022) Fisherman & Engineer
David Tod was born on Christmas day 1941 in Pittenweem. When he left school, he chose not to go into the family bakery business, after a season at the fishing he took up an apprenticeship with Smith Brothers engineers in Anstruther, a perfect environment for his innovative mind.
Having completed his apprenticeship he bought a small wooden fishing boat, Our Lynn, and developed his ideas of how to rig it as an efficient stern trawler. This proved to be very successful and when he came to replace the boat, he was able to commission a new vessel, the first from the recently opened Campbeltown shipyard.
David, His wife and family moved to Cellardyke in the early 1970s.
The St Adrian is recognised as one of the most significant fishing vessels of its generation due to the developments that Davie introduced. These Included, overhead trawl wires for safety and a converted trawl winch became the first net drum on a UK fishing boat. Now, almost every trawler in the fleet operates with this equipment.
His second new St Adrian had further innovations, the ¾ shelter deck, split drums and offset wheelhouse. In the early 1980’s he purchased an engineering and fabrication company Millers of Crail and came ashore to repair and convert many fishing vessels.
David was involved with the Scottish Fisheries Museum from the day it opened in 1968, fulfilling Trustee, Chairman of the Trust and Vice President roles over the years. His input into this organisation includes technical work, skippering the Reaper, forming the Boats Club and Model boats Club and very significantly, the Rowing Club. In 2010 his vison for community boatbuilding developed with others created the St Ayles coastal rowing movement. In 2022 the 3rd world championships were held hosting over 400 boats built worldwide.
David chaired the Fisherman’s’ Mutual Association, Anstruther Community Council and multiple other organisations. He masterminded work with the Manx Beauty Project and made a model for the project.
He was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Scottish Fishing Heritage in 2017.
In his latter years he suffered from kidney failure and passed away on 14/2/2022 leaving behind an impressive community legacy.
Research by Richard Wemyss
