William Of Ladram

The William was purchased in October 2015, when she was called the Martha Lina SL3. She had been owned by the same fishing family in Holland since her launch in 1980; they had looked after, serviced and maintained her to levels never previously seen on a commercial fishing boat. After we purchased her, all we had to do was overhaul her main engine, and then she entered the British Registry, which she completed in December 2015. The William of Ladram now has a Certificate of Class issued by RINA and is based in Brixham, Devon. Her Full International Fishing Vessel Certificate is issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and her full Category A UK Fishing Licence permits her to beam-trawl or scallop in the English Channel, Western Approaches and the North Sea. She is also a member of the South West Fish Producer Organisation.

MEET THE SKIPPER

Jake Grantham, Skipper William of Ladram
One of our hardest-working skippers, Jake began his career in Portsmouth in 1993 with the Coln fishing fleet, working in a variety of positions. During this time, he continued training and upgrading his certifications, which led to his earning Fishing Master Certification. In addition to this certification, Jake participated in many training opportunities in the areas of safety and production, as well as leadership and management. In 2015 he accepted the position of Skipper on the William of Ladram, where he is always happy - as long as he is catching Dover Sole!

MEET THE CREW

Simon Gigg, Mechanic/Cook on the William of Ladram
‘I was born by the sea, so it makes sense for me to work at sea. Coming from a family of fishermen I was always destined to be at sea. I did work experience on a boat with my cousin and I soon got a taste for it! Before I went, I got my fishing certificates in Plymouth, then I took initial training with the company so I could sail. I work on a boat specialising in catching Dover Sole - we work incredibly hard every day from Sunday to Saturday, 24 hours a day, working in 6-hour shifts. You have to get used to this pattern of working. Although you don't see much of the family during the week, we go home one night a week and have proper time off every third trip. My work as a mechanic consists of keeping the boat at sea as much as possible, through prevention not cure; maintenance is the key to my job, especially while you’re at sea, and doing repairs if necessary. Of course, we cannot dismantle and rebuild the engine out at sea, we aren't equipped for that. But you have to have good mechanical knowledge, be a handyman and be inventive! I love my job because no two days are the same.’