Derek Cox Art
- Fishing Boats -
Fishermen have plied their trade along Kent’s extensive coastline for centuries, although commercial fishing has declined. Local boats catch species such as brill, turbot, pollock, sole, bass, herring, cod and mackerel. Oysters, cockles and whelks are locally important. Fishing boats are characterised by a designated letter and number, where 'F' (followed by a number such as F111) means the vessel is registered at the Port of Faversham. All these paintings have a Faversham connection - they are either registered at the Port of Faversham, built here, or owned locally.
Fairweather V
Faversham Built, Fishing Boat, PD157
Ink & watercolour, 30x20 cm
£65 including frame [Sold]
(Based on a photograph, courtesy of Alan Smillie)
Southern Shipbuilders (London) Ltd re-opened James Pollock's shipyard in Faversham in 1972 after Pollock’s went into receivership in 1970. They built a number of steel fishing trawlers including Duthries II, Karen Rose and Fairweather V, as well as the tug Galvez. They also built a number of pleasure and river yachts for cruising the river Thames - Silver Barracuda, Sir Thomas Moore, Sir Richard Grenville and Father Thames. The 290-tonne trawler Fairweather V was built in 1976 and registered at the Port of Peterhead as PD157. In 1991, she struck rocks several miles outside Ullapool in north-west Scotland and sank. Fortunately, all the crew were rescued.
Floreat
Faversham Registered, Fishing Boat, F91
Ink & watercolour, 30x20 cm
£65 including frame
Some of the smallest boats registered at the Port of Faversham have included Floreat which belonged to Derek West in Whitstable. She has interesting origins - in the late 1800s, fishermen from Sheringham came to Whitstable to fish for whelks bringing with them their own boats. These were double-ended, open boats. Because of their popularity, versions of these boats were constructed in Whitstable, but more heavily built. Later, larger versions were built by Anderson, Rigden and Perkins and fitted with motors. Floreat was the last of these and was built in 1959. She now is owned by Whitstable Museum and is on display.
Louise
Faversham Registered, Fishing Boat, F1
Oil on canvas, 40x30 cm
£145 including frame [Sold]
Louise is owned by ‘Bluey’ Walpole of Hollowshore Fisheries at Oare, Faversham and is a common sight around the Swale estuary. ‘Bluey’ sells his catches at his fish shop in Oare from what is believed to be the site of Oare Halt on the old Davington Light railway. This narrow gauge railway was built for transporting workers from Davington (on the outskirts of Faversham) to the extensive gunpowder manufacturing works at Uplees by Oare Marshes. Mark (locally known as the ‘oyster man’) who works for ‘Bluey’, is often seen at local events selling Faversham oysters from his butcher’s bicycle. They are harvested from the Lees Court oyster beds out in the Swale, which ‘Bluey’ first laid down in the 1980s. In the distance are Oly, Ray (F52) and Cardium II (F165) from Whitstable - locally know as ‘Greedy 1’ and ‘Greedy 2’ as they suck up cockles from the sea beds.
Speedwell
Faversham Registered, Fishing/Pilot Boat, F11
Oil on canvas, 40x30 cm
£145 including frame
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Speedwell was built in Hull in 1988 and used mainly for fishing lobster and whelk in the Thames estuary. She doubled as the local pilot boat at Whitstable harbour - as seen here. She was replaced in 2009 by a modern, dedicated pilot boat. Speedwell was bought by Steve Eason, refitted with her wheelhouse forward and a new engine, renamed Libby Lou, and re-registered at Shoreham in Sussex as ‘SM 11’. Working fixed nets, Steve fishes daily from Brighton for demersal species such as Dover sole, plaice, brill, turbot, cod and skate. During the winter, he fishes for bass. He works closely with local authorities to enable consumers and the community to benefit from responsibly managed and sustainably caught fish. He has been featured on television.
Charlie Boy
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F111
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame [Sold]
Charlie Boy leaving Ramsgate on her way into the English Channel to the local fishing grounds.
Hornet
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F167
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame [Sold]
Moored out on the mud flats in the Thames estuary waiting for the tide to turn.
Kordella
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F41
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame [Sold]
Preparing her fishing gear for shrimping out in the Swale estuary.
Lee-Jay
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F118
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame
Lee-Jay, a local fishing vessel, moored out in the Swale. She has since been broken up.
Louise
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F1
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame [Sold]
'Bluey Walpole's' boat moored in Faversham. She is often seen at Harty Ferry in the Swale estuary.
Melissa
Faversham Registered
Fishing Boat, F57
Acrylic Ink, 25x17.5 cm
£45 including white frame [Sold]
On her way out from Whitstable harbour sailing into the Thames estuary to start fishing.
