Dorothy Melinda RX53

Dorothy Melinda RX53

When visitors to Hastings walk out of the railway station exit, the first evidence of Hastings proud fishing history they see, immediately in front of them after the buses, is the retired fishing boat, Dorothy Melinda RX53...  

Jimmy (photo in the Dolphin Inn)

Dorothy Melinda was originally built in Newhaven in 1958 for local fisherman, Jimmy 'Toller' Adams, now retired, but still living and socialising in the old town. He fished in her for 26 years, beach-launched from Hastings fishermen's beach, until 1984.

Since then, she remained in Hastings, next owned by father and son, Frank and Michael Edmonds, then Peter White, and Paul Joy was the last fisherman to buy her in 2003. When Dorothy Melinda was finally de-registered, she was acquired and restored by Hastings Borough Council, who have since placed her on display at the station.  

This model of Dorothy Melinda RX53 was commissioned by Mark Gardiner and donated to Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, in 2014, another addition to the already fascinating exhibits there, do go see! 

RX134, Stacey Marie

RX134, Stacey Marie, is the retired fishing boat that sits opposite the Dolphin pub at Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, which is now looked after by the Fishermen's Museum, and a couple of local volunteers, Mark and Steve, when nesting herring gulls aren't preventing work (NB all species of gull are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).  

RX134 was built at Newhaven in the 1940's for the Grant brothers, one of whom was Alfred "Puff" Grant who named the boat "Linda" after his Grand-daughter; the boat's original registration was NN39 (Newhaven registration). The boat was built as a punt, becoming a decked boat in the 1950s, thanks to a grant from the White Fish Authority, a government scheme set up to rebuild the country's fishing industry following World War II. 

The Grant bothers fished from her out of Eastbourne until the early 1960s, when a tragic accident saw one of the brothers swept overboard, whilst his brother was below deck. The body was later trawled up at Hastings, a sad reminder of how dangerous commercial fishing still remains, RIP. 

Jack Edmunds brought the boat to Hastings in 1961, where she became registered at Rye, and thus became RX134. Jack sold her to Rod Knight in 1976; who re-named her "Andrew Peter" after his two sons.

Robert "Podgy" Ball later bought her in 1985 and gave her the name "Stacie Marie". RX134 worked until 1997, when she was the oldest boat working from Hastings beach (many thanks to the Fishermen's Museum for this photograph). 

In June 1999 she was acquired by Hastings Fishermen's Museum and was placed on display at Rock-a-Nore in front of the fishing huts to the west of the Museum, where she can now be seen in all her splendour, having had her colour changed from blue. 

Information has been provided for a facebook page, and this article, by Hastings Fishermen's Museum at Rock-a-Nore, and retired local fisherman, Jimmy, who can often be seen in the Dolphin, admiring the view and drinking a pint or two, many thanks to all. 

See Hastings Fishermen's Museum at www.facebook.com/fishermensmuseum   

Stacey Marie's facebook page is at www.facebook.com/Rx134