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.

"Rope Ladders" by PTR Holland

Tampa Bay Pilot

In August 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Formosabulk Clement diverted to Brisbane, Queensland for crew change, to be completed to/from a launch via the combination pilot ladder. At the time, Queensland was the easiest jurisdiction in Australia for ships to conduct crew change due to the State’s extensive quarantine arrangements for transporting and accommodating seafarers.

A monster wave of 30m was measured at 03:00 am by the Marine Institute M6 buoy located 200nm West of Ireland.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) once again demonstrates its commitment to seafarer safety by being the first registry to instigate a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) for pilot transfer arrangements. It will continue to run until the end of 2021.

Cruise ship crew Crew life Ship life Working on a cruise ship Cruise ship jobs Crew members Life at sea Cruise ship staff Crew member experiences Cruise ship contracts Behind the scenes Living on a cruise ship Crew quarters Cruise ship lifestyle Shipboard jobs Crew life vlogs Cruise ship adventures Crew life challenges Cruise ship work environment Crew tips and advice

Ingemar Virtual Harbour with some of the 2019 designs