Published: November 2021
One of the most successful of the Cornish pilot cutters was Vincent, built in 1852 for the Vincent family of St. Mawes. At 61ft on the water-line, 68ft overall, and 90ft over her spars, Vincent was a substantial vessel displacing 74 tons. With a total sail area of 2,290 sqft — her mainsail alone was 1,500 sqft — she had true power, requiring both skill and brawn to sail and manoeuvre. She worked for seventy years and finally retired in 1922, ending her days as a houseboat on the Percuil River, just a few miles upstream from where she had been built.
But, while her passing went almost unnoticed, she was not entirely forgotten and, in 2015, when a group of enthusiasts sought a suitable large pilot cutter to build anew, Vincent’s plans were unearthed. A non-profit body, Falmouth Pilot Cutter Community Interest Company (CIC), was formed to build her sister ship as a means to preserve the traditional skills of boatbuilding and seafaring under sail. In May 2017, 165 years after Vincent was launched, the keel was laid. Three years later, Pellew — named after Edward Pellew, a great Cornish frigate captain of the late 1700s — set sail from Falmouth, Cornwall, the latest in a long and distinguished line of West Country pilot cutters. She is a testament to the skill of all who worked on her and gave those who witnessed her launching a rare sense of triumphant beauty in a harsh year. This is the story of her build.
