A trawler is a fishing vessel designed for the purpose of operating a trawl, a type of fishing net that is dragged along the bottom of the sea (or sometimes above the bottom at a specified depth). A trawler can also refer to a cruising trawler which is a recreational boat so named because it resembles a fishing trawler. Modern "rock hopper" nets have heavy rubber wheels that let the net crawl over rough ocean bottoms without tearing on rocks. Sailing trawlers were limited to trawling at depths of 55-75 metres, but modern trawlers often trawl to 900 metres, with experiments having gone even deeper. Sizes of modern trawlers vary, but range up to 2,500 to 3,000 tons. Refrigeration machinery aboard lets trawlers stay out for several weeks filling the hold. 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. 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 1970s onwards has been Peterhead in the North-East corner of Scotland. In its prime in the 1980s Peterhead had over 500 trawlers staying at sea for a week each trip. Peterhead has seen a significant decline in the number of vessels and the value of fish landed has been reduced due to several decades of overfishing which in turn has reduced quotas. 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. Others were outfitted with a single gun ("Armed trawler" in the terminology of the times) to defend the fishing groups from the predations of enemy aircraft or submarines. During the Cold War, some countries often used trawlers outfitted with additional electronic gear to monitor the activities of their enemies: see spy ship.
Recreational Trawlers
Popularized by PassageMaker Magazine, recreational trawling has continued to gain fans. The popular Trawler Fest event, held around the United States several times per year and put on by PassageMaker, continues to attract thousands of visitors. There are at least 75 trawler shops in the United States and there are many lakes. There are over 70 trawlers in the United States, as well as many lakes. It offers seminars on boat buying, diesel engines, local cruising spots, and many more topics of interest to recreational trawler owners and future owners.
See also
- Fishing industry
- HM Trawler Force - an armed trawler
- Naval trawler
External links
- Vigilance - A Brixham Trawler
- Budding Rose - A Scottish Trawler
- European Union Fishing Directorate
- Trawler History
- In pictures
- Pictures of 2006 Trawler Race at Weymouth
- PassageMaker - The Trawler and Ocean Motorboat Magazine
- Trawler Fest - The Recreational Trawler Cruising Community's Celebration
- Arthur De Fever Designed Passagemeker Trollers - Bangor Punta Era
