Name Pilgrim

1.   What is the vessel’s ability to demonstrate history in her physical fabric? 
Pilgrim of Brixham is a Victorian sailing trawler built in 1895 and an example of the rapid development in fishing vessel design that enabled deep sea trawling under sail to combat limited fish stocks in South Devon. She was originally constructed of English oak frames with elm planks. Her masts and spars were made of Douglas fir and her decks constructed of oak and Columbian pine. She is double-planked with a long, straight keel that is deeper aft than at the bow with a straight vertical stem. Her low freeboard eased the handling of nets. She has a gaff ketch rig with red sails that made Brixham trawlers so distinctive. Pilgrim has undergone several adaptations during her working life including having been fitted with a steel frame in 1941 whilst located in Sweden to accommodate the icy waters, and lengthened to allow for larger cargoes. In 1961, she was refitted as a private sailing vessel, with a 55-horsepower engine. Electricity was also installed during this period, along with a saloon, galley and head. However, extensive conservation work from 2008-2013, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, South Devon Coastal Local Action Group and the labour of local volunteers amounting to some £1.5m has returned Pilgrim to her original configuration above deck, with cruising accommodation below. Her hull form and shape exhibit the vessel as built, not as subsequently adapted, and works have included replacing the vessel’s keel, frames, planking, deck, rig and other structural elements, using like-for-like materials. She has also been re-rigged with new spars, and fitted with  new engines. Tiller steering has been re-installed, having been replaced by wheel steering in Sweden. Below deck, two watertight bulkheads, one in the forepeak and one midships have been installed to meet MCA regulations.

2.   What are the vessel’s associational links for which there is no physical evidence?
Pilgrim has a significant association with Brixham as one of six vessels built in 1895 by J W & A Uphams, one of town’s most famous yards. At this time, over 300 similar vessels operated out of Brixham port, and fishing dominated the lives of local families and businesses. The Brixham trawler design was born out of the need to access more lucrative distant fishing grounds, and by the turn of the century up to 3,000 vessels made up a UK trawling fleet operating from areas such as Hull, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and as far as Dublin. As one of the last surviving Brixham trawlers, Pilgrim is evidence of an industry of national significance. She also has strong associations with Scandinavia having operated from Sweden from 1912 until her return to Brixham in 1999. During this period, she was used for fishing, cargo, private use, and eventually sail training. Her international significance is particularly marked by her service during the Second World War when Pilgrim was used to transport ice, scrap iron, timber and granite. She was also used to smuggle guns from Denmark to Norway for the Special Operations Executive and Norwegian resistance groups. Brixham today remains an important fishing hub, and Pilgrim is remembered locally by a section of the original keel and frames which have been retained in a heritage garden with a plaque commemorating Upham’s history on permanent display adjacent to the vessel’s mooring. Bullet casings from her timbers are homed for safekeeping by Brixham Museum. The Pilgrim Archive also traces details about Upham’s and  includes family details of Silas Pine, Pilgrim’s first owner, and accounts of the precarious nature of trawler ownership and operations.

Pilgrim was listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels in 2001 and awarded National Historic Fleet status.

3.   How does the vessel’s shape or form combine and contribute to her function?
Pilgrim illustrates the pinnacle of sailing trawler design in the 19th century that pioneered deep-sea fishing under sail. She had the capacity to manage large trawls, and her shape and planking meant she thrived in heavy sea conditions for lengthy periods of time. Her straight stern, long keel and tall gaff rig enabled her to sail quickly to and from her home port of Brixham. Though a working vessel in design, Pilgrim’s deep draught and comparatively narrow hull in relation to her length produced a comfortable motion that resulted in a safe working platform and helped prolong the life of the catch. A buoyant stern counteracted the tendency of the trawl to swamp the boat when towing it under extreme load.

 Pilgrim BM 45, owned by the charity Pilgrim Heritage Sailing Foundation, remains operational in her original working environment, and is moored at Brixham’s heritage pontoon. She is used to provide sail adventure holidays, and on board educational experiences for students, as well as a popular visitor attraction for both local residents and visitors from the UK and overseas. She is an evocative sight under sail, as one of the last remaining links to Brixham’s past. 

Sources:
BM45 Pilgrim: Brixham’s Victorian Sailing Trawler, Bridget Cusack
Sailing Trawlers: A Devon fishing village, the creation of a legendary fishing vessel and the birth of a global industry, Toby Russell

Date: 29/06/20