Call for local businesses to help save Brixham’s famous sailing trawlers

An SOS call has gone out to local businesses and farmers with spare warehouse, workshop or barn space to come to the rescue of two of Torbay’s famous heritage sailing trawlers.

The Brixham-based classic trawlers, Vigilance of Brixham and Pilgrim have lost access to a vital barn-workshop and the maintenance crews now don’t have a base. 

The barn has been used for many years and has been vital to keeping the boats operational and now volunteer maintenance crews are desperately seeking a replacement. With nowhere to go all the items are being moved into temporary container storage.

For more than 20 years they have used a barn on Berry Head as a shore-based store with workshop facilities. 

It provided essential maintenance and repair facilities, but following the collapse into liquidation of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, the conservation charity responsible for managing the Berry Head National Nature Reserve, the boat crews have been told they have to leave. 

Vigilance crew members (left to right, Peter Christie, Nigel Orme, Nigel Jenkins) moving one of the heavy mooring warps in preparation for the move to temporary storage

Ownership of the land and barn rests with Torbay Council and the administrator has put the property up for sale. There is no way the charity-based boats could afford to buy the barn and land.

Chair of the trustees for Vigilance of Brixham, Rob Murray, said: “Use of the barn stretches back decades and we understood its use had been granted ‘in perpetuity’, but after it went into liquidation it emerged that the permission, granted verbally, had never been supported by a written agreement. 

“Sadly, the original owner who granted permission for its use by the two heritage sailing trawlers died some years ago.”

The barn is huge and currently stores spare ropes, fenders, anchor chain and lots of nautical items essential to the operation of the boats. Anyone who has some spare capacity in a warehouse, workshop or barn and is able to offer space is asked to contact Vigilance of Brixham as soon as possible as the need is now pressing.

Mr Murray’s email address is: rob@vigilanceofbrixham.co.uk