Ross Tiger, Grimsby: Beloved historic trawler set to re-open to visitors this week

The Ross Tiger has been closed for months of vital deck works. It will reopen to the public on Tuesday, March 28. Repairs began on September 5, including the removal of the ship’s rotten timber deck. This revealed the steel deck below, which was inspected, grit blasted and painted.

Once the works had finished in November, the ship required a walkway to be able to safely reopen to visitor tours. Now completed and given the green light by health and safety officers, Ross Tiger will soon officially reopen.

Louise Bowen, collections officer at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, said: “We are delighted to have completed these vital works. Removal of the decaying timber has provided the assurance that the steel decking below is in a sound condition.

“This is a testament to the shipbuilding engineers at Cochrane and Sons of Selby, whose skill and craftmanship has stood the test of time for over 65 years. Painting the steelwork underneath and laying a new temporary walkway means we can welcome visitors back onboard and begin planning for the next phase of conservation work on our historic trawler.”

“The Ross Tiger is a cherished part of Grimsby’s fishing heritage and has been much missed by visitors to the museum during these works,” said David Ormsby, operations manager at the centre. He said that visiting schools and the public will be delighted to have the ship available again.

The centre’s team, who recently won a Welcome Accolade from VisitEngland, will return on board to bring the ship to life. “Although the temporary walkway will look different until a new timber deck can be funded, we can feel happier that the weather deck of the ship is much better protected and preserved.”

Organisations involved in the renovation project aside from the council, its regeneration partner Equans, and the fishing heritage centre, include Beckett Rankine Marine Consulting Engineers, Coopers Painting Contractors Grimsby, R&N Services, York Archaeology, Bacon Engineering Ltd and Hurst Conservation.

The original Borneo Pine decking was laid in 1956. Some timber removed during the repairs will return in the museum’s collection.

The Ross Tiger is thought to be the oldest diesel side-trawler to survive in the UK. It has been outside the museum in 1992. Recently, it also featured as a filming location for the movie Three Day Millionaire, available on Netflix.

The public can find out more about the Ross Tiger tours at www.fishingheritage.com/tiger-tours.