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History
Piloting ship to ship transfers 1970’s
The Dutch tanker Nacia approaches a Bergeson VLCC / OBO. (pilot J. Morrison) These vessels were the largest two vessels to undertake the transfer operation. Photo E. Ramsay. The Isle of Arran is visible to starboard.
As many of you are probably aware there have been several proposals tabled during the last few years to permit ship to ship oil transfers at several locations around the UK coast especially for the export of oil cargoes from Russia where the depth of the Baltic precludes the use of large tankers. Read the rest of this entry »
The pilot cutter “Protector”
Wendy Cummin has kindly granted permission for her research into the loss of the pilot cutter “Protector” to be placed on this website. The photographs have been supplied by retired Harwich pilot, Andy Adams.
The pilot cutter “Protector”
Although not as common as in WW2, there were many civilian deaths in WW1. Read the rest of this entry »
TO BE A PILOT: THE STORY BEHIND A PAINTING
THE CHARLOTTE KILNER
Many pilots are descended from shipping families but all too often the records are lost over even a couple of generations. Retired Humber pilot David Raddings came across the following record Read the rest of this entry »
TYNE PILOTS: THE END OF AN ERA
On 31st March 2008, an era in the history of the river Tyne ended with the retirement of John Marshall and Alan Purvis, the last traditional Tyne Pilot family pilots. 
L – R John Marshall, Eddie Cowell & Alan Purvis
PILOT GIGS OF CORNWALL AND THE SCILLY ISLES
THE PILOT GIGS OF CORNWALL AND THE SCILLY ISLES
The pilot gigs of the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall are totally unique six oared open boats which were used to ship pilots onto ships arriving of the South West approaches to the United Kingdom. This feature actually started as a review of a fascinating book that I found in the bookshelf of a holiday let in Cornwall. Titled : “Azook: The Story of the Pilot Gigs of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 1666 – 1994”. Read the rest of this entry »
Venn, Alfred William
Alfred William Venn
My father died just six weeks short of his one hundredth birthday. He was the last known survivor of the Bristol Channel Sailing Pilots.
View the original illustrated pdf magazine article (page 8):
www.pilotmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/pilotmag-286-final.pdf
At the height of the industrial revolution, the new coal ports of South Wales became boom towns – the Silicon Valleys – of their day. Great wealth was created and commerce from Swansea to Newport, and good Welsh coal was shipped to the four corners of the world to fuel the new era. Even the great port of Bristol, once the second city in England, was overtaken by the convergence of rail, canal and the inevitable melding of coal, steel, iron and the mighty machines it brought forth. Central to the sea-going operation were the one hundred and fifty or so pilots long heralded as master of their calling. The Bristol Channel is one of the most difficult bodies of waters in the world to navigate, with violent seas, the second most powerful tides and attendant currents, and endless changing mud and sandbanks. To qualify for admittance to the ranks of pilotage took half a lifetime, and the boats matched the same degrees of excellence to which the men aspired. Read the rest of this entry »
Nelson Memorial
NELSON FUNERAL RE-ENACTMENT
The Nelson Funeral re-enactment was held on the Thames on 16th September 2005. Several pilots and retired pilots attended this event and shown here are First Sea Lord
Sir Alan West with L-R Nick Cutmore, IMPA Secretary General, Leonard Fenner Retd.
(London TH North Channel & PLA), Peter Widd (TH & PLA), Peter Russell Retd.( London TH Cinque Ports & PLA) and Norman Knowles Retd. (London TH Cinque Ports)
Youde, Ronald Fergus
Ronald Fergus Youde (1910 – 2005)
Article by RF Youde on Piloting WW2 (Page 11)
http://www.pilotmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/pilotmag-284-final.pdf
Pilot Ronald Fergus Youde died peacefully on 14th December 2005, aged 95. Read the rest of this entry »
Pilotage Laws 1888
PILOTAGE LAWS 1888
At a time when the UKMPA are working to draw up a new Pilotage Act including provisions to incorporate the relevant sections of the Port Marine Safety Code it is timely to look back at pilotage history. The following are extracts from a paper tabled at the 1888 UKPA Conference by Commander Cawley. It is equally valid today!
I am of opinion that the whole fabric of pilotage law is so rotten and one-sided that, any attempt to renovate or patch it up would be an inconvenient and a dangerous makeshift. This pilotage question, as well as others of a pelagic nature, must be dealt with in detail by seamen, thorough masters of their profession, for in dealing with this matter immense and continuous responsibilities are involved only known to mature nautical experts.
It must be admitted that pilots were originally appointed for no other purpose than that of enhancing the security to life. I am fully convinced that it is absolutely essential to the safety of human life. I say it (and not without serious and deliberate consideration), that pilotage and the ef.ciency of the pilotage service plays no unimportant part in the safety of “all those who go down to the sea in ships.” Where life is at stake, and its security so indissolubly and indisputably connected with this service, I, as a competent British seaman, would ask your honourable Committee to pause and consider the dreadful responsibilities that would arise if any unwise interference with this pilotage service should be contemplated and of all the dangerous and immediate perils encountered by those who travel by sea, those perils the pilots were formed to counteract and combat. It takes time to gain the ear of the thinking people of this country to the grave importance of this subject. It is connected with their safety and directly and indirectly concerns them, but, like all other matters, it requires patience and perseverance to bring it to their knowledge. I wish to preserve the pilotage system in all its present ef.ciency, and, where possible, make it more ef.cient. In doing so I am endeavoring to extend to those seamen who will come after me those great bene.ts of security to life which a wise generation thought .t to establish for the safety of seamen centuries ago and which is as essential now (even more so) than it was then. If it is essential that pilots should be appointed, it is also the duty of the State who appointed them that they should live in safety and in contentment and in peace.
Some may be in doubt of this great service the British pilots render the sea traveling public. I have no such doubt, in fact I am awfully and piously impressed with its stupendous importance. They carry the greyhounds of the sea from Liverpool and from
The indiscriminate granting of pilotage certi.cates to Masters and
mates is a dangerous law, inasmuch as it legalises incompetency, and
instead of ensuring positive safety it not only renders the possessor of
this super.cial knowledge a danger to himself, but also to those in
other vessels who have accepted the services of a real quali.ed pilot
117 years later?? JCB
Pilot Cutters identified
PHOTOS IDENTIFIED
On page 12 of the October 2004 issue of The Pilot there were two photographs for which information was sought. Once again Harwich Haven pilot Andy Adams has provided the following fascinating and detailed information.
The Clyde Launch:
Prior to WW2 the
The London
The London No.1 cutter is Pioneer. The Dungeness cruising cutters were based at
The sailing pilot ketches No.3
Whilst on duty at the Shipwash station the Pioneer was tendered by sailing cutters from Harwich. In 1912 the Shipwash station was closed and a single station in the
The Guide and Pioneer then took turns as the Dungeness tender as well as taking rotational duty for the Sunk and Dungeness stations.
With the introduction of a third new cutter in 1914 Guide was sold to
1924 she was renamed Preceder to make way for a new Pioneer.
1925 Sold to Pilotage du Gironde, renamed Chevalier.
1935. Broken up
No 1: Pioneer
Official Number 98971
Length 114’ 03”
Breadth 21’ 00”
Moulded Depth 11’ 04”
Compound 2 cylinders steam reciprocating machinery by M Paul of Dumbarton 82rhp
Signal Letters MHGF
Gross Tonnage 156
Net Tonnage24
PS There was speculation from another correspondent that the Guide and Pioneer were the same vessel but had removable name boards which were swapped over when the vessel changed operating stations. Further to this Andy revisited his archives and has confirmed that:
The Pioneer and Guide were two different vessels but were built together (456 & 457) as sister ships. The interchangeable name boards were the location boards
No.2 The Guide:
1891 Built for the Dungeness station,
1914 replaced by Patrol and sold to J E Bernier of Levis Lauzon,
1923 Sold to Cie Navigation de la Baie de Bras d’ Or.
1926 Sold to
1926 Sunk in St Lawrence.
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