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.

This is Paddy Rooney, Coxswain of the Carlingford Pilot Boat, on the lough which separates County Down and County Louth. The boat operates out of a small jetty at Greencastle - so called after it's Norman castle near the shore and not far from the town of Rostrevor with it's beautiful park and colourful streets. In this film Paddy and his crew rendezvoused with a cargo ship at Greenore Port - which is also a uniquely preserved 1800's railway village .

Join us for a full exterior walkaround of the Norwegian pilot boat LOS 107 while she’s underway — bow to stern, wheelhouse to fenders. Real-time footage of a working pilot/launch at sea.

Here’s a nice little video of the sea trials of ‘Svitzer Oued Martil’ including some cool on-board 360 camera footage of her going through some pretty big breaking seas during rough weather testing, and some nice foggy day drone footage and trials alongside the Brittany Ferry ‘Armorique’.

The Port of Townsville has welcomed the newest addition to its fleet of pilot boats with the arrival of the newly built MANTARAY. The $3.3 million, custom-built vessel utilises high-tech equipment and design to maximise safety and efficiency for pilot transfers.

Whilst filming for the Voyager T2000 I was asked by Frank from Safehaven Marine if I wanted to make a video about the brand new Pilot Interceptor 60. There was no way that I was going to miss this opportunity!
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Voyager T2000 Yacht Tour: https://youtu.be/Z8m7mWNWGAs
Voyager T2000 sea trial: https://youtu.be/ihgjtrgV0O4

The sun was out and was a beautiful day, I was searching for a light house in the area and there was one in Cameron, La. I started my way to the light house not thinking how bad Cameron was hard hit by two hurricanes. After a few dozen downed power poles I was met with the National Guard and the Po Po. Needless to say I turned around and I had passed the port so I decided to drone this area. Not a bad place and a ship was being assisted by two pilot boats. I never tire with maritime...

This pilot course is the first of the capacity-building efforts of the three-year project on enhancing regional research, capacity building and convening of stakeholders towards a safer maritime domain in the Gulf of Guinea.