Trawlermen's Lives

Overview

Documentary which follows Ben Fogle as he experiences life as a North Sea fisherman. Ben's journey begins in Peterhead in the north east of Scotland, as he spends time on three vessels performing different types of fishing. His first voyage is with skipper Sandy McLeman on the trawler Rosebloom. For three days and nights, Ben and the crew go after North Sea haddock and cod. With his shipmates he catches, guts and packs tons of fish, endures sea-sickness and gets the ultimate accolade of being trusted to take the watch. The second voyage sees him set out on the prawn trawler Pleiades. Finally, Ben meets John Alexander, who has one of the loneliest jobs in the North Sea - fishing for crabs. After an exhausting eight-hour shift, Ben and John head back to Fraserburgh to offload their catch, which will be at Billingsgate Market in London within 24 hours.