About the Falmouth Pilot Cutter CIC
Based at the Rhoda Mary Shipyard on the bank of a river where so many fine wooden sailing ships were built, the Falmouth Pilot Cutter CIC is recreating a traditional environment where they hope many projects of historic maritime importance will take place.
A not-for-profit community interest company, The Falmouth Pilot Cutter CIC has been greatly supported by people from the local area and further afield. They are providing jobs and training in maritime trades and intend to grow a viable and sustainable centre for the development of traditional wooden ship-building skills.
They are working towards extending their network of local businesses and hope to help support the Cornish economy and provide a popular visitor attraction for those interested in maritime history.
With a 'from tree to sea' philosophy, they also look forward to working with the appropriate conservation groups to help ensure that woodland management can be profitably operated whilst providing a sustainable source of timber suitable for boat building.
They also intend to work with other organisations and provide sail training experiences on their own traditional sailing boats.
The Falmouth Pilot Cutter Pellew is based in Truro, giving opportunities for apprenticeships in the traditional trades and seamanship associated with such a vessel.
As they progress, the team hope to reach out to create a network of local businesses that will sponsor their apprentices and in turn benefit from the skill level that will come out of this project.
About the Pilot Cutter Pellew
For many years there has been a desire to resurrect a legendary Falmouth Pilot cutter and rekindle wooden shipbuilding in Cornwall. The Falmouth Pilot Cutter CIC have chosen to faithfully recreate one of the longest-surviving and best-documented of the cutters, the 'Vincent'; built in 1852 for the Vincent family of St Mawes.
'Vincent' worked successfully for 70 years until being retired in 1922, ending her days as a houseboat at Freshwater on the Percuil River.
Pellew, in honour of the great Cornish maritime hero, is a faithful recreation by Luke Powell of Working Sail of 'Vincent' and is the largest traditional gaff cutter in the country built in the 21st century using traditional skills. Using drawing plans and an original builder's model found in St Mawes and given to Ralph Bird, Devoran Pilot gig binder, Luke has also been able to bring his own experience of building Scillonian Pilot cutters to the project.
Pellew was launched on 29th February 2020, and is used for sail training and charter from Falmouth with any profit used to train young people in traditional sailing and boat skills.
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