Trinity Sailing Trust
Spirit of Britannia
Provident| Golden Vanity | Leader | Brixham Trawlers
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Spirit of Britannia is the newest addition to Trinity's fleet; she is mid way between Provident and Golden Vanity in size and, like the other boats in the fleet, she is a traditional fishing vessel. Built in 1915 for Alfred Rake by Worfolk Brothers she was the last and largest whelker to be built on the east coast.
Having worked as a fishing boat for many years she went into private ownership in the early 1970's. From 1974 to 1997 she operated as a charter vessel on the west coast of Scotland. She was then taken to the Solent where she continued to take people on sailing holidays. She was acquired by the Trinity Sailing Trust in 2007 and underwent an extensive refit in 2008.
Spirit of Britannia is rigged now just as she was when she fished under sail early last century. She has a 'Gaff Cutter' rig. 'Gaff' indicates that the main sail is hoisted using a 'gaff', a spar attached to their upper side. 'Cutter' indicates that there is more than one headsail, making each sail easier to handle by a small crew. It is a very versatile and powerful rig, easy to handle in light airs and strong winds.
Down below, Spirit of Britannia has been fitted out for her modern role. She has accommodation for ten guests and three crew, a saloon area, a galley with gas cooker, and two heads. She has a well equipped nav. station with modern navigation equipment including Radar, GPS and DSC VHF Radio.
