One of the fishing vessels that used to be in Malta was the 1974 built longliner SLEBECH.
She was built in Spain by Astilleros Del Atlantico at Santander as BETI DONOSTI for the Spanish based Fishing Company – Laurak Bat Fisheries and then she was sold to Betty Fisheries in 1980 and renamed SLEBECH homeported at Milford haven with GBR flag.
On 1st September 1981 around 1630 hrs the SLEBECH was intercepted and stopped by the French Maritime Police Patrol Craft ADMINISTRATEUR EN CHIEF ANCELLA PM 25 and after a thorough search of the fishing vessel’s holds, she was forced to go to the French port of Bayonne. The same fishing vessel was arrested a week before.
Back to 24th November, 2000 the Irish Navy rescue services suspended the search for a 33yo Spanish Citizen sailor who fell overboard the night before, when the ship was en route about 360 kilometers west of the coast of Mayo (Ireland). The SLEBECH, an Anglo-Hispanic joint venture trawler, was based in the English port of Milford Haven . Industry sources point out that only the ship’s controls and one sailor are of Spanish nationality, while the rest of the crew would be Portuguese. Rescue service sources said there is little hope of finding the missing person alive due to the low water temperatures.
In 2007 she was spotted at Valletta, Malta homeported at Freetown (SLE flag).
She used to berth at Church Wharf alongside other vessels that were for sale by the shipbroker BRITANNIA SHIPPING and later on she was seen wearing the livery like any other Britannia’s owned vessels –
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli otherwise stated. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Friday 6th August ,2021