Brixham Sailing Trawlers

Brixham at one time had one of the largest fishing fleets in Britain . Now only five Brixham sailing trawlers exist in Britain; VIGILANCE; LEADER; PILGRIM; PROVIDENT and REGARD.   Brixham was the birthplace of the sailing trawler, a design that formed the backbone of the British fishing industry in the days of sail. Their graceful lines, strength and speed made them unique. No other type of vessel was capable of towing the heavy trawl gear in all conditions, or was capable of carrying the catch as swiftly to market.

The ‘Leader' is one of the last of the legendary Brixham sailing trawlers. More than a century after she first set sail as a working fishing vessel, Leader nowadays cruises along the southern coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and is available for private hire and charter, or just for couples, singles, friends and families.

Leader was built by the yard of AW Gibbs at Galmpton Creek.

The Brixham Trawler Vigilance is celebrating her 75th year this year. Vigilance is a restored 1926 heritage sailing trawler often available for charter. Click Here for the Website
Brixham Heritage Sailing Trawlers Archive Contains the records of all the boats built in Brixham and enables searches by boat name or number, owner, skipper and, indeed, any other key word in the database. Click Here For the Website