An iconic Preston vessel has been saved by a maritime enthusiast.

At 19.8m long and weighing in at over 30 tonnes, retired Grimsby motor fishing vessel MFV Jarvit has been moored at Preston Marina for over 30 years.

Built in Belgium in 1961 the vessel – which has until recently been abandoned on the quay – was destined to be chopped up into fire wood and scrapped.

Due to a lack of maintenance and poor housekeeping the boat was rotting away and deteriorating quickly.

The vessel is now under new ownership and looking towards a much brighter future.

The new owners purchased the vessel for an undisclosed amount following a lengthy application process. They had been keen to save the vessel since seeing it on eBay in January and falling in love with it.

Upon getting the keys last week, work began to halt the decay and to carry out a proper assessment of the boat.

Following the outcome of the assessment the boat will be repaired using traditional ship building techniques and original materials.

Owner Ryan said: “I’m very excited to be the care taker of Jarvit for the foreseeable future. She is the second project boat of mine. The first being a 50 foot Ex-Pilot vessel, which was salvaged after sinking.

“I have some experience with wooden boats and really hope to get Jarvit ‘ship-shape’ again very quickly. It is vital that she is repaired quickly and to a high standard of seaworthiness.

“Owning such an iconic vessel is a privilege and when I bought her I had no idea how sentimental the vessel is to people locally.

“Everyone stops to ask what is happening with her now and the interest shown and relief that the boat has a new owner who has a passion to preserve her and take her into the future is very apparent.”

Locals can expect to see Jarvit undergoing sea trials in the marina in the coming months.

Progress can be followed on Instagram and Twitter @mfvjarvit.

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