Provident was built in 1924, one of the last sailing trawlers
to be commissioned. She is one of the medium-sized 'Mule' class trawlers, slightly
smaller than Leader, but with a similar gaff ketch rig. She was built at the yard
of J. Sanders in Galmpton, the same yard where Leader and Golden Vanity were built
(Leader when the yard was owned by the Gibbs family).
She was sold into private ownership in the 1930s, and was used as a yacht until
1952, when she was acquired by the Island Cruising Club, based in Salcombe. She
now has over half a century in use as a charter and sail training vessel in South
Devon.
Provident is 70' long on deck, and 90' overall. She displaces about
80 tonnes in sailing trim. She has a beam of 18' and a draft of 8'6".
Down below, Provident has been fitted out for her modern role. She
has accommodation for twelve guests and four crew, a large saloon area, a galley
with a large, gas cooker, two heads, a hot shower, and a generator that supplies
a ring main with 240v electricity. She has a well equipped nav. station with modern
navigation equipment including Radar, GPS and DSC VHF Radio.
Provident was one of the mid-size sailing trawlers, known as a 'Mule'.
Official
Number
139433
Port
of Registry
Brixham
Builder
J
Sanders , Galmpton, Devon
Date
Launched
1924
Original
Fishing Number
BM28
Radio
Call Sign
MIGB
Gross
Registered Tonnage
41.62
Net
Registered Tonnage
34.43
Length
Overall including spars
27.56
90'
5"
Length
of Hull
21.51
m
70'
6"
Length
of Waterline
18.29
m
60'
0"
Maximum
Beam
5.49
m
18'
0"
Maximum
Draft
2.83
m
9'
4"
Working
Sail Area
180
sq m
1940
sq ft
Maximum
Sail Area
280
sq m
3010
sq ft
Displacement
85
tonnes
93
tons
Ballast
10
tonnes
11
tons
Engine
- Gardner 6LX 6 Cylinder
89
kW
120
Hp
Water
Capacity
1,957
litres
431
gals
Fuel
Capacity
950
litres
209
gals
The Rig
Provident is rigged now just as she was when she fished under sail
early last century. She has a 'Gaff Rig', indicating that the Main and Mizzen
sails are hoisted using a 'gaff', a spar attached to their upper side. The Ketch
rig (two masts) was used to divide up the sail area, making each sail easier to
handle by a small crew. The large number of sails (up to eight) makes it easy
to 'change gear' by hoisting or lowering sails as required, depending upon the
strength of the wind.
The Ketch rig is very versatile; good in light winds, when extra sails can be
set (such as flying jib, mizzen topsail and mizzen staysail), good in heavy winds
(she can sail under mizzen and staysail alone) and good for manoeuvring (the mizzen
can be used to help to balance and turn the boat).
Leader
Length: 105 feet Beam:19 feet
No of berths, inc. crew: 17
Provident
Length: 95 feet Beam:17 feet
No of berths, inc. crew: 16
Golden Vanity
Length: 53 feet Beam:10 feet
No of berths, inc. crew: 9
Spirit Of Britannia
Length: 60 feet Beam:13 feet
No of berths, inc. crew: 14
