Brixham Trawler Provident back on the water

By Rob Peake // March 4, 2016

The 1924 Brixham Trawler Provident – part of UK National Historic Fleet – will be back on the water this summer after being taken out of service for more than a year.

Her current owners the Trinity Sailing Foundation stood her down amid concerns over the reliability of her elderly Gardner engine.

As a small charitable organisation, Trinity needed time to fundraise for the money to cover the necessary work.

While the vital fundraising took place, the gaff-rigger was moored on a buoy in Brixham Harbour, stripped of her masts, sails, spars, soft-furnishings, electronics and furniture. It wasn’t long before people took to social media to express their concern that her best days were over.

Trinity Sailing’s Sales & Marketing Manager Harry Gottschalk said: “We had several calls from concerned people, especially last summer, when people were sailing in and out of Brixham Harbour, as she did look very sad moored out there on her own, stripped bare.

“We were also made aware that people had uploaded photos of her to social media sites, without her masts, worried that she wasn’t being cared for. In reality she was fine; we just stripped her back to protect her as much as possible while operations staff were regularly going out to run checks on her.

“We appreciate that a lot of people have fond memories of sailing on Provident, so it was nice to reassure those who were concerned that she was okay and would be back to her best.”

After the Second World War, Provident arrived in Salcombe, in 1951, as the founding vessel of the Island Cruising Club where she remained until 1999 when she started working from Brixham as part of the newly-formed Trinity Sailing Foundation. She was built on the River Dart, which was by then owned by John Sanders. She was a replacement for an earlier vessel of the same name, sunk during the First World War by a German U-boat. She fished out of Brixham for 10 years before being sold to a wealthy American and converted to a private yacht.

Provident arrived back in Brixham at the end of February, after being kept out of the water over winter at Mashfords of Cremyll boatyard.

Ben Wheatley, Trinity Sailing’s Operations Manager, said: “Some of the staff there actually remembered putting her failing Gardner engine in place when it was first fitted into Provident, all those years ago.

“Following months of painstaking work by the yard, helped when possible by Trinity staff, she was ready for the big re-launch. After short test of the shiny new engine — a Perkins 215c — she was brought back to Brixham to carry out the exciting task of re-stepping the masts, repainting the hull, and getting the vessel in fine fettle for her first voyage in quite some time.

“We trust that the new engine will give us long years of quiet, reliable service and help us steer towards a bright future for both Provident and Trinity Sailing.”

Provident’s return begins with an eight-night voyage starting Saturday, May 28, firstly taking part in the Brixham 102-year-old Brixham Heritage Sailing Regatta, then sailing along the Devon and Dorset Coastline before joining around 100 other traditionally rigged vessels for the Yarmouth Gaffers Rally. After which she has a busy sailing season right through to October, sailing to the like of Brittany and the Channel Islands.

If you would like to join Provident for her come back cruise, call Trinity Sailing on 01803 88 33 55 or email [email protected]. Her full voyage programme is available online at www.trinitysailing.org

This entry was posted in News and tagged Ben Wheatley, Brixham trawler, Cremyll, Harry Gottschalk, Provident, Trinity Sailing Trust. Bookmark the permalink.

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