In what was then the ghostly West India Dock, work started on the Balaenoptera’s makeover. Making friends at West India Dockĭelivering the boat from Aberdeen to London taught me just how horrible the North Sea can be aboard a trawler, with the best respite being a turn at the wheel. Neither of us had any money but within a few days a very determined Allan had raised funds having never aspired to owning a North Sea trawler, I found it surreal that we now did. This remarkable venture came about over a nice cup of tea with Allan Thornton, who suggested buying a boat and sailing to Norway to document its whaling. In addition, in 1981 the IWC banned the ‘cold’ non-explosive harpoons because, designed to secure and wound whales rather than kill them outright, it was just too cruel. The momentous decision to end all commercial whaling by 1986 had been made the year before by the International Whaling Commission ( IWC). Our aim was to document Norwegian whaling – something no-one had done before. Some 30 years ago, in June 1983, I was aboard the 116ft North Sea trawler the Balaenoptera with a wonderful crew of volunteers.
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