'Vigilance' & Looe Luggers, Brixham, Devon 2001

Brixham in Devon is one of the most well known and largest fishing harbors in England. Before the first world war there would have been a fleet of up to two hundred sailing fishing trawlers based there. When they were in port you could walk across the harbor from boat to boat without getting your feet wet.. Now there are only about five remaining that are seaworthy.

Brixham in this picture looks a little like it would have done in the past. Although with the trawler Vigilance with other sailing fishing boats in the picture this is a pale shadow of the sight it must have been in, say, 1900. The fog symbolizes this ‘pale shadow’.

Years ago this picture would have included Uphams Shipbuilding Yard on the land just to the right of the pontoon where the modern flats are. Apart from many Brixham Trawlers including ‘Vigilance’, Uphams built the famous replica of the Mayflower II in 1956.

Matching this photograph is Brixham Trawler Race, Torbay, 1999