Trawlers : Boat Council

Brixham trawlers

In the Middle Ages, Brixham was the largest fishing port in the South-West, and at one time it was the greatest in England. Brixham is also famous for being the town where the fishing trawler was invented. These elegant wooden boats were invented in Brixham in the 19th century, and copied all over the world, influencing fishing fleets everywhere. Their distinctive sails even inspired the song 'Red Sails in the Sunset' which was written aboard a Brixham sailing trawler called the 'Torbay Lass'. Known as the "Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries", its boats sailed all round the coats and helped to establish the fishing industries of Hull, Grimsby and Lowestoft. In the 1890s there were about 300 trawling vessels here, each owned by one man who was often the skipper of his own boat.

Trawlers in England

One of the biggest ports in England for trawlers was the city of Kingston upon Hull (or simply 'Hull') in Yorkshire on England's north-east coast.

The largest fishing port in Europe from the 1970's onwards has been Peterhead in the North-East corner of Scotland. In its prime in the 1980's Peterhead had over 500 trawlers staying at sea for a week each trip. Peterhead has seen a significant decline in the number of boats and the value of fish landed due to the impact of the European Union fishing policies. These policies, which have been based on controversial scientific advice, have resulted in a concerted effort to reduce the size of the Scottish fishing fleet.

Trawlers at World War II

During World War I and World War II, many trawlers were used as minesweepers, the activities being similar, and both the crew and the equipment aboard already suited to the task.

During the Cold War, some countries often used trawlers outfitted with additional electronic gear to monitor the activities of their enemies: see spy ship.

Grand Banks

One of the leading manufacturers of trawlers for export to USA and Europe is Grand Banks Yachts Limited (also "Grand Banks" or "GB"). Grand Banks was initially established in 1956 as American Marine Ltd., Hong Kong. In 1975, with a change in management, the name of the company was changed to GB Holdings Limited.

In 1987, GB became a public listed company and its shares were traded on the SESDAQ board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore. In 1993, the company was upgraded to the main board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore. In 2004, the listed name was changed to Grand Banks Yachts Limited.

Originally located in Jurong for 31 years, Grand Banks relocated its operations to its new factory in Loyang in 1999. Today, the company has a factory located in Loyang Crescent and a factory located in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Supported by a total work force of about 1300 employees in Singapore and Malaysia, Grand Banks has an average production capacity of around 100+ boats per year.

Key Milestones:

1956: Company founded as American Marine Ltd. in Hong Kong.
1962: Kenneth Smith commissioned to design Spray, forerunner to the GB36.
1964: Launch of GB36-001 (June). Company would eventually build 1,141 GB36s before retiring the model in 2003.
1965: Launch of GB42-001 (August). More than 1,550 GB42s have been built to this day.
1969: GB32-138 is first Grand Banks built new factory in Jurong, Singapore.
1973: GB36-366 marks the first time a Grand Banks yacht is built using fiberglass construction.
1974: Hong Kong yard closed as Grand Banks ends production of wood-hull yachts.
1975: Company acquired by new management team, headed by Chairman and CEO Robert W. Livingston.
1984: Launch of GB 46-001, which remains in production today with over 280 boats sold.
1987: GB42-1000 launched on April 27. Today the GB42 remains one of the most successful production cruising yachts ever built.
1993: Grand Banks launches the 38 Eastbay EX, first of the C.R. Hunt-designed Eastbay Series. Since that time Grand Banks has added new Eastbay models in 40, 43, 47, 49, 54, and 58-foot lengths.
1995: Grand Banks opens new boatyard in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, with over 100,000 square feet of space on the factory floor.
1999: Grand Banks moves Singapore plant from Jurong to Loyang Crescent.
2001: The raised-pilothouse Aleutian Series makes its debut with the 64RP. Over the next four years the Series is expanded to include the 70CP and 59RP models.