50 years plus: Zephyr PL 6

Launched in 1974 as Janbill LH 103, this Miller’s-built stalwart has worked a long and varied career from ports around Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man

By Mike Smylie

Janbill was built at Miller’s yard in Sto Monans as a copy of the 56ft Jeniska, although she was two frames shorter, at about 51ft. She was built alongside True Vine KY 7, which had an almost identical hull – although Janbill had a forward wheelhouse for stern trawling and True Vine didn’t.

Both were launched on the same day – 29 March, 1974.

The launch of True Vine on 29 March, 1974, the same day as Janbill, pictured in that week’s Fishing News. The caption recalls: “Two 50-footers took to the water in a double launch last week at the James N. Miller yard at St. Monance. First hull out of the shed was True Vine for W. R. and C. Armstrong of Amble, Northumberland. Gardner-powered, she is to have a Mastra seine-trawl winch and Carron power block. Next came Janbill for Dickson and Aitchison of Eyemouth, Berwickshire. Again, a Mastra winch and Carron power block have been specified but Janbill will be Volvo Penta powered.”

Janbill was built for Eyemouth skipper Willie Dickson, the name coming from his and his wife’s names. She was fitted with a Mastra winch, a Carron power block and a Volvo Penta 290hp engine. She started work fishing the North Sea for whitefish, registered as LH 103.

By 1976 she had been sold to Jim Aitchison from Eyemouth and renamed White Heather V LH 103. By 1983 she had been bought by Kenneth Brereton of Pittenweem. Ken gained a degree of celebrity status in January 1983 in an article in the New York Times, at the time when the Danes were refusing to ratify an agreement on the sharing of fishing grounds as part of Britain’s entry into what was then the Common Market.

The new vessel soon after starting work.

“Ken Brereton, the captain of the 50-foot stern trawler White Heather, reflected the general view along the Scottish coast by saying that Mr Kirk [Kent Kirk, the Danish MEP who later became Denmark’s fisheries minister] was ‘doing it for his own political future back in Denmark’,’’ the article said. ‘‘‘The common fisherman, in my view,’ Captain Brereton said earlier, ‘would’ve been much better off if we’d never seen
the Common Market.’” Many fishermen would have agreed with that sentiment, and indeed still do.

By 1986 Ken had possibly given up the battle, and White Heather V had moved up to Fraserburgh, owned by an R Munro and re-registered as FR 103. Two years later she was sold to a K Morrice of Fraserburgh in partnership with Caley Fisheries of Peterhead, and by 1991, she had been renamed Zephyr II FR 103.

In Pittenweem, now called White Heather V LH 103 and owned by Ken Brereton.

By 1993 she had moved to Northern Ireland after being bought by Dudley Lee of Ardglass, who re-registered her as B 203. At some point she was shortened by 6in to get under 15m.

In January 1998, the vessel moved to the Isle of Man after being bought by Geoff Comber of Peel. Here she was renamed Zephyr and re-registered as PL 6, and was skippered by his son Phillip Comber, who filled me in with some more history.

In Fraserburgh as Zephyr II FR 103.

“My old man was a shipwright and I’m an engineer, and he’d just sold the Laurel PL 6, that he’d had built at Herd & Mackenzie between 1990 and 1992. She’s up at Castlebay now. Zephyr needed some work, which we did between us, because she’d been lying alongside a stone quay without any fenders. Basically she’d been neglected for some time.

“There were double poles on her, but they stopped a foot short of the deck. We built a new galvanised rig, and kept the original wheelhouse. There was a Jensen three-drum winch, which we made a two-drum. She had a 300hp Volvo in her. She’d do 10 knots easy!

“She really was an oddball – just one of those boats that surprise you. She was fantastic, and we fished scallops, queenies and prawns. We could tow seven dredges a side with her power. When I got the Genesis, I had to fit a nozzle on her to compete with Zephyr on speed!”

Alongside at Ardglass, now registered as B 203.

In June 2001, Zephyr hit rocks whilst leaving leaving the Isle of Whithorn to fish for queenies. When the boat immediately started taking on water, the crew managed to beach her on the nearby sandbar, from where they were able to walk ashore and get help. With aid from the harbour master they attempted a temporary patch but, due to a lack of materials, this was not completed and the incoming tide flooded the vessel. Within a couple of tides, though, they had patched her so they could get her in the harbour for further repairs.

Now Zephyr PL 6, entering Peel to land queenies from Burrow Head. (Photo: Darren Purves)

Phil told me: “Nobles came and patched her up afterwards, and we got her to Girvan where they rebuilt her. We did out the cabin and wheelhouse, gave her some TLC, fitted a genny. It was a couple of frames bust, and
two planks. We found out then that she was bolted throughout – she must have been one of the earliest, bolted every two frames or so.”

Heading in to Peel in a northwesterly, around 1999. (Photo: Darren Purves)

In 2006, Zephyr was sold to Scotland, as Phil wanted a bigger vessel. He had already got the Genesis PW 400 (he re-registered her as PL 400) because she was more modern. When I spoke to Phil, Genesis had just returned to the Isle of Man after being bought by Billy Caley, and Phil was engineering aboard her, getting her ready to fish – though he himself wasn’t fishing any longer.

Zephyr was then purchased by William Burke of Oban and re-registered as OB 203. Although the vessel was rigged for scalloping, he started fishing for prawns and, a year later, bought a bigger boat. Zephyr returned to Northern Ireland under the ownership of Brian Magill of Kilkeel, re-registered as N 203 and skippered by his son Chris Magill, fishing the Irish Sea for scallops, prawns and queenies.

Zephyr, now owned by the Magills, coming in to Peel. (Photo: Darren Purves)

In 2018, she joined the fleet of Billy Caley in Peel and was re-registered once again as PL 6. She continues to work from Peel, currently skippered by Shaun Norman.

Miller’s launched three boats in 1974: Janbill LH 103, True Vine KY 7 and Ubique KY 28. All three are still around, although True Vine appears to be stationary in Stornoway. Ubique is currently being converted as Crimson Dawn KY 28 to join the ‘Crimson’ fleet alongside Crimson Arrow KY 142, Crimson Sea KY 51 and Crimson Sky PD 352.

Thanks to Phil Comber, David Morris and Darren Purves.

Heading in to Peel with another haul of queenies. (Photo: Darren Purves)

This story was taken from the July 2024 issue of Fishing News. For more like this, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.50 here.

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