Pilot Cutter Review
H Tiddy are delighted to again sponsor this event which takes place from 30th May to 1st June.
Pilot Cutters were built to take a pilot several miles out to sea where he would board a sailing ship to guide it safely into port, his local knowledge being essential for the avoidance of coastal water hazards. The boats vary in size from about 40' to 60' hull length and have 5 sails. Some are historic but a number have been built in the 21st century. Many are available for charter, and they are occasionally raced.
Pilot Cutters are extraordinarily beautiful boats of which there are about 40 in existence. Hull shape is usually a vertical stem and counter stern with a lovely sheer (curvature) in between. They have a long bowsprit and five sails comprising Main sail, top sail, jib, staysail and flying jib.
About a quarter are replicas built in the Fal area by Luke Powell of Working Sail. Others were built in Bristol, Nova Scotia and France. Their general design evolved over many years to produce a very sea-worthy boat capable of facing Atlantic storms.
The Pilot Cutter Review is organised by Classic Sailing, based in St Mawes since 1996. Their website offers voyages in classic boats and ships in many parts of the world, and has a section identifying all known Pilot Cutters. A week spent aboard a Pilot Cutter is a memorable and sometimes life-changing experience.