Brixham Trawler Heritage

The preserved sailing-trawler tradition of Brixham, Devon, the port that by the mid-19th century held England’s largest deep-sea trawling fleet and was called the “Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries.” Two restored Brixham-built vessels anchor the heritage: Pilgrim (BM45), built at Upham’s yard in 1895 and the oldest surviving Victorian sailing trawler, restored 2008 to 2013; and Vigilance (BM76), built 1926 and returned to Brixham Harbour after a £1.6m restoration, sailing again from 2024. Both work as charter and regatta vessels around Torbay.