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.

pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship 

This week, Kewatec handed over another popular boat, Kewatec Pilot 1630, to the pilot boat operator Gdańsk Pilot in Poland. The fast pilot boat is self-righting and designed with extraordinary safety performance for both the pilots and boat operators.

Garganta do Diabo em São Vicente

Awarded World’s Best RHIB Pilot Boat of 2023, BRIX Marine's 37' NAIAD Pilot is purpose-built with cutting-edge design, advanced technology, and unparalleled performance to excel in its mission as a pilot boat.
With a length of 37 feet and powered by twin 300HP @YamahaOutboards01, the Aldebaran prioritizes practicality and performance. The aluminum hull, D-shaped foam, and polyurea membrane ensure durability, while the cabin provides comfort with insulated walls and shock-mitigating...

The Maritime Pilots Institute is the premier training facility for River Pilots employing a mix of virtual and real world facilities. Located in Covington Louisiana, we are 45 minutes from downtown New Orleans while offering the safety and amenities of small town life.
The training presents a balance between simulated locations with a variety of environmental conditions and manned scale models of cargo ships in a series of lakes with docking and currents and live factors such as wind and...

This video shows the reality of pilots in Kenya.