MFV SEA SPRAY

The MFV 'Sea Spray, a 24 metre multi-purpose steel trawler, returning to home port, Castletownbere, last week, having undergone a new Wheelhouse refit to include a new Galley, plus exhaust modification which were fitted and installed by Mooney Boats Ltd., Killybegs, Co. Donegal. The vessel is skippered by Kevin Sheehan and crew are Kevin Downey, Donald O'Sullivan, Michael Martin-Sullivan, James Harrington, David Kelly and Donal Hurley. She pair trawls for Herring and Mackerel with the MFV Menhaden, owned and skippered by Larry Murphy.

The Sea Spray was built in Campbletown, Scotland in 1977 for Frank & Margaret Downey, Bank Place, Castletownbere. She was an open deck trawler, (see picture to the right) fitted with an Alpha 750 H.P. Engine, top range navigation equipment and equipped to fish the waters of the West Coast of Ireland. Frank, who Skippered the boat, had for his initial crew, Kevin Sheehan, Jimmy Newman, Danny Leary, Ronnie and Jeremy Sweeney.

The Spring and Summer months were spent fishing for white fish, i.e. Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Monk, Ling, Hake, Plaice and Sole and the Winter months were spent fishing for Herring and Mackerel

In 1982, Frank had the dry fish hold of the Sea Spray converted to R.S.W. tanks. This work was carried out locally by Millcove Engineering Co. Ltd., - John Tim O'Sullivan. This proved to be a tremendous benefit for the quality of the fish, particularly Herring and Mackerel: with the temperature of the water in the tanks being kept just below zero. Also this was the year Kevin Downey, Frank & Margaret's son, finished school and joined the crew of the Sea Spray.

In 1983, Frank had the Sea Spray fitted with a shelterdeck. (See Picture opposite) Again the work was carried out by Millcove Engineering Ltd., with the assistance of Marine Surveyor Hugo Van der Zwan.

In 1984, Frank eased off from an active career as a fishing Skipper and Kevin Sheehan took over Skippering the Sea Spray. Frank and Margaret's second son Aiden joined the crew this year also. The boat continued on her dedicated programme of fishing and a very successful programme it was working out to be, due to the dedicated efforts of all concerned.

Sadly, Frank became ill shortly after tking a shore involvement and died in 1989. During his illness, Margaret managed, along with the family and crew, to keep the Sea Spray on a continuous working programme and after Frank died, took over the Registration of the vessel and continued to see the actual fishing programme through. As the years went by, the boat was updated with all the modern technology and communication systems.
In 1997, she was re-engined, this time fitted with a Caterpillar Engine, carried out at Arklow Engineering Services.

The Sea Spray is now set to continue with her fishing activities from her home port of Castletownbere. Congratulations are extended to Margaret and Kevin on the modernisation and wishing all the crew, safe fishing and good catches in the months and years ahead.