British Motors Trawlers- From Developments to Demise

The British Fishing Industry is steeped in tradition, superstition, and to some extent, suspicion and this made it slow to embrace change of any kind. The move from sail to steam was a prime example of this reticence and was it not for the foresight of a few forward-thinking owners, it would have taken even longer. The industry’s next move from steam to motor was yet another classic example of this adversity to change but, gradually the advantages and reliability of the internal combustion engine saw it replace both sail and steam within our fishing fleets. Also, as with steam, the motor-powered side trawler reached its peak as well as its demise within one person’s life span. This shows the development of motor power from its initial installation in sailing smacks to the early petrol/ paraffin motors and later heavy oil engines and finally the powerful marine diesels and diesel-electric drives of the 1960s.