The historical Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter - Part 1

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.

GAUMONT BRITISH NEWSREEL (REUTERS) To license this film, visit https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVAAFMZAJGI7M13SNICC6BXKJPV2-MERSEY-PILOT-BOAT-RUNS-AGROUND-AND-POLISH-SHIP-PILSUDSKI-IS-SUNK Wreckage of a Mersey pilot boat running aground at Southport, killing 20 crew members, and the Polish liner, Pilsudski, whose captain died of exposure after the ship was sunk Full Description: SLATE INFORMATION: Two More Losses on the Sea ENGLAND: Sefton: Southport: EXT LIVERPOOL L'pool Mersey Pilot...

The Port of Townsville, northern Australia’s largest multi-cargo port, is expanding its fleet of pilot boats to four.

The Port has awarded Hart Marine a $3 million contract to build a 17.3m ORC vessel that is due for delivery later in 2020. The new high-tech vessel will be slightly longer but have the same design features as the PV Osprey which was delivered by Hart Marine in late 2017.

A pilot boat caught fire near the entrance of the Port of Recife, on Saturday morning (15 January). The fire would have started around 11h. In a note, the port authority explained that the two people who were in the pilot boat were rescued by another pilot boat "Serrambi".
The causes of the accident had not yet been identified, but would be investigated.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 finds the New York Harbor Pilot Boat No. 1 overtaking the Circle Line Zephyr on a Hidden Harbor Cruise along the Kill van Kull.

She is destined for their pilotage operations at Jebel Ali in the UAE, the Worlds ninth busiest port and follows their first Pilot 60 ‘Murshid’ delivered last December.

In the last couple of years several paid as well as free tools have made it easier than ever to access vessels on a map. Although vessels shown on a map have their place, authorities and industry are understanding the greater potential and value of the underlying AIS data.