Fleetwood's heritage trawler Jacinta is finally demolished

The former arctic trawler, which had been a floating museum in Fleetwood docks since 1995, has been broken up on the docks.

The 600-ton ship had to be scrapped after decay in the hull caused leaks which threatened to turn Jacinta into a maritime disaster.

Earlier this year a major leak in the engine room flooded the whole ship and left her waterlogged.

If the Jacinta had rolled over as a result it would have been a major salvage operation costing millions of pounds.

But Fleetwood-based firm Wyre Marine Services was able get Jacinta back afloat and watertight before the trawler's owners, Jacinta Charitable Trust, handed her over to PGC Dismantling of Heywood in June.

PGC were involved in the dismantling of the ferry Riverdance, which was washed up in Cleveleys in January 2008.

Jacinta was then cut down in size and a convoy of trucks leaving Fleetwood loaded with scrap metal.

Finally the hull was towed across the marina that used to be the Fish Dock and beached on the site of the town's famous old trawler slipway where it was finally dismantled.

Trustee David Pearce said: "We set out to tell people something about where their fish comes from and about the men and women of Fleetwood who made that

industry happen.

"Along the way the Jacinta crew had some great times. It has been a privilege to be part of it."

The demolition was carried out with the approval of the Department of Environment and Associated British Ports, the owners of Fleetwood harbour who supported the project for 25 years by not charging rent for the vessel.

Jacinta had been a top earning deep sea trawler for the J Marr & Son fishing firm in the 1970s but by 1995 it looked like the vessel's days were at an end.

But the trawler gained an unexpected second life when a group of enthusiasts brought her back to Fleetwood that year as a heritage vessel which went on to play host to school parties, visitor groups and even folk concerts and Christmas carol services.

Problems began in 2017 when decay in the hull saw Jacinta banned from sailing by the Marine Coastguard Agency.

Efforts to find ways of preserving Jacinta in Fleetwood came to nothing.

In 2018 trustee Tony Lofthouse, who was the project’s benefactor, died and five weeks later Trust chairman Lionel Marr also died.

His wife, Jill Marr became a Trustee to help surviving trustee David Pearce try to find a more positive future for Jacinta.

Jill said: "We have done our best in memory of Lionel and Tony and it’s sad that we had to scrap Jacinta.

"Even if we could have saved her there is no one to take the project forward and finance it in the future.

"We owe a big debt of gratitude to all who have supported Jacinta over the years and, on a personal note, I would like to thank David for his

tireless efforts."

Jacinta is remembered at Fleetwood Museum which holds a collection of items from the ship.