The steel motor trawler Constant Star was launched from the yard of James and Stone (Brightlingstone) Ltd. (Yard No 412) in March 1962. She measured 93.3′ x 22.1′ x 9.6′ and her tonnage was 140 gross tons, 48 net tons. She was powered by a 7 cylinder 4SA diesel engine by Bergen Mekaniske A/S delivering 490 brake horse power. Ordered by Norard Trawlers of Milford Haven she was registered in this port M133 on 10th July 1962. On 29th august 1974 she was purchased by Francis Wood, Peterhead and a group of other local fishermen and registered in Peterhead PD172.
Constant star in Milford Haven livery
Lloyds register 1987
On 27th August 1987 Constant Star was returning from her latest fishing trip under the command of Francis Wood. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and Wood and his companion skipper in a second Peterhead boat Challenger II had decided to return to port for shelter. Constant Star was following Challenger closely when she suddenly ran aground in darkness just after midnight. She immediately took on a heavy list to port and, as five metre high waves crashed over the stranded trawler, it was obvious the crew were in mortal danger. Wood managed to send out a distress message and the crew took shelter behind the wheelhouse hoping for a rapid response to the message. Moray Coastguard picked up the message and called out the Peterhead lifeboat and a rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth.
When the helicopter arrived at the site the men aboard could not see any sign of life on the stranded vessel and they turned away believing the crew to have abandoned ship or to be lost. Thankfully a lookout on the lifeboat, which had by now arrived on site and manoeuvred as close to the wreck as coxswain John McLean could manage, spotted a light and a hand waving from the remains of the wheelhouse and the helicopter was recalled. This time the crew were spotted huddling behind the wheelhouse and the delicate operation to winch off the crew began. The skilful efforts of the helicopter pilot and the winch operator, Sergeant Steve Griffin, lifting the crew off in pairs despite the Force 8 north easterly gale force winds and surging swell resulted in the safe evacuation of the full crew, frozen and soaked and suffering from exposure, but otherwise alive and well. In a final exciting incident, just as skipper Wood and his mate Bowie were about to be winched off, Constant Star took a dramatic lurch and sank deeper in the water but the two men were pulled to safety aboard the helicopter which then took all the crew ashore to a local hospital where they recovered from their ordeal.
Constant Star aground on The Skerries
The Constant Star was to disappear beneath the waves soon after as her exposed position on the Skerry Rocks about one mile from Peterhead harbour left her at the mercy of any bad weather from the south or east. The remains of Constant Star, which were substantial salvaged in the 1980s, lie off the Skerries in approximate position 57° 28.817’N, 001° 46.082’W in depths from 10 – 15 metres intermingled with the remains of the Loch Wasdale. The diesel engine of the Constant Star is the most obvious remnant of the lost trawler.
