We could make theories about why one might lean into this coloured mud as a brand mark thing, but we don’t know for sure why the practice was started. I’d like to think that red developed as a brand – these Brixham trawlers were game changing in their day. All British boats at the time were coastal fishing essentially, they were limited in range, limited in speed, and could only carry a small haul of fish. Then some bright spark built a new type of boat, a design that would be copied all around Britiain and the world.