The Boats That Built Britain - The Pilot Cutter - Part 2

Many consider the Bristol Channel pilot cutter to be the finest sailing boat design ever. Fast, seaworthy and beautiful to behold, the pilot cutter is the perfect combination of form and function - a thoroughbred perfectly adapted to a life in one of the Britain's most treacherous stretches of water. Sailor and writer Tom Cunliffe explores the life of the pilots and sails a perfectly restored cutter to find out just what drove these men and their wonderful machines.

Let us start a journey back in time. Back to the black and white films of history. The times have changed, but it is good to know what kind of things have changed and where are the roots of pilotage.

Look at Life Vol 01 Transport Pilot Aboard 1963
The story of Britain's pilotage services.

Pilotage to Sauda via one of the beautifull Norwegian fjord on cargo ship 120 m length. Pilot exemption certificate.

Finnish Pilots at work.

The PIA project of German pilots is a great maritime success story and ensures greater safety and efficiency on German shipping routes. Thus, with no exceptions, all of the approx. 890 German maritime and port traffic controllers could be gathered for use of the PIA system and its PPU.

A trip down the river Haven today to catch the boys in the pilot boat and Eems Sprinter come up river to dock at Boston.

Kewatec builds the twelfth pilot boat and the ninth Pilot 1820 boat for Buksér og Berging in Norway. The boat is of the same series as the previous Pilot 1820 boats that have been delivered during the last five years. The boats have a total length of 18.2 meters and are the flagships of Kewatec's pilot boat range.

A more unique angle regarding freighter departures; I was able to film the routine disembarking of one of our local ship captains and officers after piloting Solina out of the harbor. This is a required procedure, as per US Maritime Laws, all international freighters must be piloted in and out of a US harbor by a US Captain. Here we have out local pilot vessel Sea Bear running up alongside the Solina to allow the two officers to depart the freighter before she heads out across Lake Superior

We get to take the rough with the smooth on sea trials, 'Murshid'- Interceptor Pilot 60, lovely looking pilot boat.