Historic boat's £1.7m renovation nears completion

A 100-year-old boat is set to welcome passengers back on board as a renovation project which cost nearly £1.7m nears its end.

Vigilance has been restored over the past four years in its home port of Brixham, Devon, with funding from sources including the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The 78ft (24m) trawler has passed its final safety inspection and been cleared to carry passengers, with three-hour cruises around the Tor Bay area set to start on 7 July.

Rob Murray, chairman of trustees of Vigilance of Brixham - the charity which owns the trawler, said there was a "huge sense of pride" about getting it back in working order.

The charity said Vigilance, which dates back to 1926, was the last sailing trawler built at Brixham's Upham shipyard.

Restoration work included a new hull and deck being installed along with upgraded facilities for passengers and crew on board.

Murray said it was "amazing" to reach the end of the project.

"I can't overstate how proud we are to have achieved this at all," he said.

"It's just a fantastic feeling and she's a stunning boat to look at."

Murray said the charity wanted to make sure the boat was financially sustainable, so the immediate focus would be on sailings around the bay.

He said there were still some issues to sort out before the sailings started, but he was optimistic about the future.

"Our surveyor, who is a charming chap, pointed out passengers would expect a toilet on board, so there's a bit of a rush to the line over the next few weeks to get that sorted," he said.

"But apart from that it's just fine-tuning and once we start heading out, we'll be going out three times a week."

Murray added in the longer term, the charity wanted to turn Vigilance into an educational resource for schoolchildren.

Sailings on Vigilance can be booked via the charity's website.

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