Rough Seas

The Life of a Deep-Sea Trawlerman

A trawlerman’s life was hard, often up against bad weather, rough seas, and black frosts. Although on calm days it could also be a pleasure. In this eventful memoir, deep-sea trawlerman James Greene relates his life at sea, from his childhood when his father would take him out in some of the worst gales and hurricanes imaginable and his early career as a deckhand learner at Fleetwood to obtaining his skipper’s ticket in Grimsby and the many experiences—both disastrous and otherwise—to occur throughout his time at sea are included in this book. During his career, he was involved in ship collisions and fires, arrested for poaching, fired upon by Icelandic gunboats, in countless storms, and even swept overboard in icy conditions off the Russian coast. The British trawling industry is now a by-gone age and people are beginning to forget the adventures and hardships that characterised this profession. This book seeks to keep the memories of a once-great industry alive.