Bristol channel pilot cutters

[1937rogerdon]

On Saturday Barry Yacht Club will be running the Bristol |Channel race for Pilot Cutters.
This year we expect 5 cutters the best and largest fleet of these wonderful boats to race in the channel for many years.
The race will start at 1400hrs, down channel via the Horseshoe bouy,Helwick,Barry.
The various boats will be arriving in Barry on Fridays tide, they can be viewed from the Club House (bar available from 1900hrs) or from the Western breakwater.

 

[graham]

Pilot cutters Race

Got some pictures at the start as well as some of the Johanna Lucretia a topsail Schooner.

 

[Alcyone]

Brilliant to think they used to sail those boats out to drop the pilots on the coal barges and so on.

I don't suppose there would be anyone around now capable of taking a pilot out to the boats in all weathers, and who knows how to sail.

 

[Csail]

Why?

 

[Poignard]

First thing on my list after a lottery win.

I read a book about them years ago; I wish I could remember its title.

As far as I remember, they would go out in all weathers and wait for deep-sea ships and then, after transferring the pilot, they would be sailed back to port single-handed.

Beautiful seaworthy boats - "not a bad line in 'em".

 

[graham]

they were usually crewed by a man and a boy and carried one pilot. They would sail close to the ship then the boy would take the pilot across in the punt before returning to the cutter to follow the ship in and collect the pilot again for the next ship.

They didnt just work locally but would sail far out into the Western approaches or up into the Irish Sea to meet a lucrative ship.

How they knew where to be to meet the ship based on the scanty information available to them is amazing.If another cutter found the ship first the journey would have been wasted.

 

[johnchampion]

They didn't so much "meet" a ship as go out hopefully looking for an inward bound one in known sea lanes and then offered their services if they had found it before a competitive pilot.

From what I can make out the term "boy" probably meant an eighteen stone six foot four gorilla which is what he would have needed to be).

They certainly look great when under full sail and there are of course still plenty of people around who can sail them perfectly well.

 

[chrishelen]

From what I can make out the term "boy" probably meant an eighteen stone six foot four gorilla which is what he would have needed to be).

Thats interesting,

i always belived that the sail plan was such that they could be sailed single handed if need be.

 

[johnchampion]

Thats interesting,

i always belived that the sail plan was such that they could be sailed single handed if need be.[/QUOTE]

That's partly my point. They had to be manageable short handed and especially in the early days with no power or winches available but as I understand it one of the jobs of the "boy" was launching the skiff, rowing the pilot across to the incoming ship, rowing back and recovering the skiff, in all weathers, before helping the "man" sail her back to arrive before the pilot and the ship. I know things ain't 'wot they used to be but I can't picture too many of todays "boys" capable of handling that job which is why I thought it was more a term used for the position rather than an actual description of the doer.

 

[Poignard]

They were fitted with ratchet roller-reefing on the main, presumably to make it easier for a small crew.

 

[lancelot]

Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters

Apparently, Tom Cunliffe has a television series 'Boats that Made Britain', I think it is BBC4 and the BC. pilot cutters are featured.
Beautiful boats, I would love to own one, paricularly one with a ghost on board.
Fair Winds,
Lancelot

 

[Allan]

We sailed from Dale on Saturday and saw them sailing down the channel, what a wonderful sight! If anyone has details of any books about the lives of the sailors I would love to read more about them. "Proper sailors in proper boats"!
Allan

 

[graham]

We sailed from Dale on Saturday and saw them sailing down the channel, what a wonderful sight! If anyone has details of any books about the lives of the sailors I would love to read more about them. "Proper sailors in proper boats"!
Allan

I read a book by Peter Stuckey called The Sailing Pilot Cutters of the Bristol Channel( (or something similar).Fascinating book with lots of details about individual pilots and their boats.

 

[hrchivers]

If anyone has details of any books about the lives of the sailors I would love to read more about them. "Proper sailors in proper boats"!
Allan

Try: 'The Last of the Sailing Coasters' by Edmund Eglinton 0-11-290336-3
published 1982, but you can still get copies.

It is a memoir by someone who actually worked the Bristol Channel in various sailing boats, and is also simply a good read.

 

[channel]

Great pics Graham, I was hoping to get some of them myself but didn;t get around to it. Nice to see Mascotte back home waters too.

Assume you saw the programme on BBC4 the other night, I spoke to the production company prior to filming but they already had it sorted with the ABP boat . . . maybe next time.

Got some pictures at the start as well as some of the Johanna Lucretia a topsail Schooner.