Arctic Corsair

The Arctic Corsair is a deep-sea trawler built in 1960 and now a museum ship in Hull. It stands in the North End Shipyard, part of the city’s Museums Quarter. The ship was converted from a working trawler in 1999 and is Hull’s last surviving sidewinder trawler. Sidewinder trawlers formed the backbone of the city’s deep-sea fishing fleet in the 20th century. The ship was designed for harsh conditions in Icelandic waters, with a riveted hull instead of welded plates. It was built by Cook, Welton & Gemmell in Beverley, near Hull. The Arctic Corsair played a key role in Hull’s fishing history. In 1973, it set a world record for landing cod and haddock from the White Sea. During the Cod Wars in 1976, it rammed an Icelandic patrol vessel after repeated attempts to cut its trawl warps. The skipper, Charles Pitts, later praised the ship’s resilience after temporary repairs by the Royal Navy. In 2017, the Arctic Corsair and the Icelandic vessel exchanged bells as a gesture of cooperation. The ship also survived a collision off Scotland in 1967 and was beached before being repaired. Visitors to the Arctic Corsair find a floating museum run entirely by volunteers. Exhibits and guides tell the story of Hull’s deep-sea fishing industry and the ship’s role in it. The trawler is moored in a dry dock, part of the Hull Maritime City project in the Museums Quarter. Restoration work in 2021 prepared the ship for its final move to the North End Shipyard. The surrounding area includes a visitor centre and flood defences along the River Hull. The ship’s history is preserved through artefacts, photographs, and first-hand accounts from former crew members.