The Fleetwood freezer trawler JACINTA – which features in the upcoming film THE LAST TRIP – has been scrapped in October last year. Sadly, this represents yet another loss from a coastal town’s fishing heritage. We filmed on the vessel back in June 2016 and, while it is sad to learn of the fate of the trawler, it is also very sad to hear that the Jacinta Charitable Trust’s Chairman, Lionel Marr, and the project’s benefactor, Tony Lofthouse, had both passed away. We know only too well of the efforts of all the volunteers that kept the JACINTA maintained over the years.
JACINTA was possibly Fleetwood’s most famous ship and was Britain’s top earning vessel in the heyday of midwater trawling. She was built for trawler owners J. Marr in 1972 by Swan Hunter of Wallsend at a build cost of £340,000. This ship was the third Fleetwood vessel to have the JACINTA name and within her first 3 years of fishing she broke the wet fish catch records with 188 tons (185,000 kg). In 1982 JACINTA then worked out of Hull – and just a few years later in 1994, she had become the record holder for the most valuable catch in Hull with a top earning value of over £1.9 million.
During her 23-year working life, JACINTA earned over £17.3 million fishing. Her fishing days finally ended in 1995 leaving the ship to an inevitable fate at the scrapyard. However, a single pound was paid for the ship by a group of Fleetwood folk who rallied round to save her and get her seaworthy again. JACINTA then went on to visit many maritime festivals around the UK until retiring her engines and taking her final role as a fixed-berth floating heritage centre.
We think that a big ‘thank you’ needs go to the Jacinta Charitable Trust, all the volunteers and all the people who helped with funding JACINTA during her time as a piece of Fleetwood’s maritime history. Thousands of people have visited this ship, including ex-crew members and schoolkids.
We have posted a few pictures of JACINTA taken from the film THE LAST TRIP, the scenes for which were shot back in June 2016.
It is with much regret we acknowledge that she will not be around for any future filming.