Hartlepool History Then & Now

Gertrude Cappelman - Tommy Moorhead Recollections

The following extract is taken from an article which appeared in the local magazine 'Herterpol' featuring well-known local fisherman Tommy Moorhead :
"Tommy recalls the Gertrude Cappelman as an unlucky boat. Fishermen had plenty of superstitions. There was one occasion when the boat was in dock between trips. The job of the Engineer after every trip was to freshen up the boilers and make the boat ready for the next trip. This meant the fresh water was drained from the boilers and refilled and the tanks topped off. At this time it was often common for boats to haul mines up in their nets and on one trip the skipper took out the detonator from the mine to make it safe. At the next boiler freshening it was thought that either the Engineer or his mate had dropped the detonator and the explosion killed both men. The Gertrude Cappelman was later lost with all hands, sunk by a mine off the Tyne."