Brixham’s Golden Hind faces uncertain future as half-term losses soar to £1,000 a day

A health-and-safety row over the gangplank of a pirate ship could leave Brixham without its best-loved tourist attraction as visitors pour into the port.

The Golden Hind replica in the inner harbour – the centrepiece of the town’s annual Pirate Festival – is closed for half-term week as its owner battles with Torbay Council over the eight-metre gangplank.

Sean Twomey, who bought the ship for a quarter of a million pounds in 2018 after falling in love with it during a family visit, made a new timber gangplank himself to replace one which has carried visitors on and off the Golden Hind for half a century.

The old one was damaged beyond repair in January’s storms.

But, he says, the harbour authority has told him it isn’t up to the latest safety standards, and cannot be used.

Work in progress on the new gangplank (Image courtesy: Sean Twomey/Golden Hind)

“If I have health and safety and red tape for everything I do, I could just walk away and leave it,” he said.

Torbay Council says it is still hopeful that a solution can be found.

Mr Twomey announced on social media at the weekend that the Golden Hind was closed with immediate effect, sparking an online uproar as locals feared they might lose their iconic pirate ship.

The owner said he had opened the ship as normal on Saturday morning, but was told by the harbour authority that the new gangplank was not safe for visitors to use, and a new one would need to be made to official safety standards.

“It was 10 times safer than it was two months ago, when people were walking up and down it, but they said it was not fit for purpose,” he said. “It’s not exactly building the pyramids, is it? I’ve been doing joinery and construction for 25 years and I’m happy to walk up and down it, but the harbourmaster says it will never meet any guidelines.

“The old one worked fine for 50 years and the new one is better, so I don’t see what the problem is.”

Mr Twomey said having a new aluminium ‘cruise ship’ ladder for the Golden Hind would be out of place and look ‘rubbish’

He said he was losing £1,000 a day during half-term by having the ship closed to the public, and may even be tempted to put it on the market. The Golden Hind is thought to be worth about £400,000 at current market rates

“Maybe somebody else would jump through a lot more hoops than I’m willing to,” he said. “I’m a bit sick of being treated like a criminal. They are risking losing a major tourist asset.

“I thought I was doing something good by replacing the gangplank, and no-one ever complained about the previous one.”

A Torbay Council spokesperson said: “The safety of those who live in and visit the Bay is really important to us, as is ensuring our popular and much-loved tourist attractions are open and are safe for those who visit. 

“The Harbour Authority fulfils a number of specific functions and one of these is to ensure the safety of any members of the public using harbour facilities. Following the recent installation of a new gangway onto the Golden Hind, the Harbour Authority has issued instruction that the gangway must be fully inspected and certified before use by the public.

“We are in regular conversation with the owners of the Golden Hind and look forward to receiving the appropriate certification.”