Pilot Cutter Tribe Gathers, Lara returns & Wild swimming

Join the Pilot Cutter Tribe

It is nearly time for our annual Pilot Cutter Review in Fowey and St Mawes. It’s a gathering of the ‘tribe’ of wooden working boat fans. I though TRIBE was the best description of the people who come racing in Cornwall. A lot more wayward than a club, its ‘membership’ is growing and it’s very easy to join. ....
 

Charter guests – often sailing pilot cutters for the first time - mingle with marine artists like Jill Hudson, local boat builders like Luke Powell or Dave Cockwell, owners who have restored original pilot cutters like Tony Winter, famous fish smokers like Mike Smylie, liveaboard families, dogs, boat building students and one year we even had a parrot on board one cutter.

If you are looking for a proper week long holiday don’t wait to peak summer. This is five full days to immerse yourself in a bygone era with plenty of hands on action in stunning scenery, before the historic ports fill up with yachts and motor boats. Pilot cutters coming include Pegasus, Cornubia, Charmian, Annabel J, Eve, Amelie Rose, Agnes, Hesper, Edith Grey, Kochi and others to be announced.

Pilot Cutter Review 2011 - Lots of Photos & more about the event - PDF

Skipper is Lara Caine. (Eve's other female skipper is swimming from Castle to Castle in a sponsored open water swim for the RNLI - see our press release)

E111     25-50 May     Eve of St Mawes - Pilot Cutter Review - Racing and crew events ashore.                    5 day voyage Special offer for last 3 places £495 - SAVE £100

Welcome Back - Guest Skipper Lara Caine 
 

Former Eve skipper Lara Caine is back for a few voyages on her favourite blue pilot cutter. Catch up with this mini human dynamo and find out about her adventures teaching RYA Yachtmaster courses in the big seas off South America or what it is like to live on her own small boat in London.

SPECIAL OFFER   E110  18-24 May - Eve in Cornwall - RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper  6 days NOW £495 SAVE £200

Many of our RYA students love the attention they receive from passing boats whilst they are learning to sail / navigate / skipper on a wooden boat that really turns heads. Eve is 51ft overall so she is that little bit bigger than the average teaching yacht so your colours fly just a bit higher for having won your well earned certificate on a pilot cutter. (Instructor - Lara)

SPECIAL OFFER  E111  25-30th May - Pliot Cutter Review - racing and crew events - Eve of St Mawes /Cornwall   -Last 3 places NOW £495 SAVE £100

An action packed 5 days in Fowey, along the coast and in St Mawes with Lara.  Eve's news sails are performing better to windward so try them out in the first race of the year.

E115   11-14th June - 3 Day Midsummer Voyage in Cornwall -only 2 places left £395

Last chance to sail with Lara in 2011 as her peak season voyages are full.
 

Wildlife Voyage & Wild Food Foraging?

If you want to get close to nature and sea kayaking is just a bit too close to the deep blue sea, our pilot cutter Eve and expedition sized rowing boat number 8 provide a much more stable platform for exploring South Cornwall under sail or oar.

New skipper Paddy has just come back from Marine wildlife course and has been wild food foraging along the coast with Rachel Lambert. He is keen to explore Cornwall’s secret coves and take you to some of our favourite anchorages. We have been running sailing and walking voyages for 14 years, so are always on the lookout for remote landing places, seal caves, or wild mussels to collect. The South West Coast Path gives us instant cliff top vantage points or woodland walks wherever we drop the anchor.

E117 Wildlife voyage  – 3 days on Eve of St Mawes 21-24 June A Great time of year for Basking sharks, night time rowing amongst phosphorencent plankton. £395

Wild Swimming – the grown up version of skinny dipping

Go on. Give yourself a little frisson of glee. Our skippers have always loved swimming off the boat but the growing trend for wild swimming in beautiful secluded locations is definitely encouraging our guest crews to take a dip. We don’t even mind if you bring a wetsuit. This spring we have enjoyed some incredibly hot sunny days with light winds and lots of sails to trim. There is no better way to cool off at lunchtime or the end of the day than to jump off Eve’s transom.

Photo: Women go Wild voyage crew are too shy to hit the nudist beach. Another advantage of swimming slightly offshore !

Mermaid / Merman Awards

Any brave soul going for a swim off the boat on Eve in 2011 will be added to the ships log roll of honour , gain a mention on skipper Debbie’s blog on wild swimming (link), and a Merman / Mermaid Certificate to prove it (you can exchange your certifcate for £25 off your next voyage in 2011 or 2011) Those brave souls who jumped in from Tremayne Quay in April voyage can back claim your award.

With a great hot start to the season let’s go for the record for the most Classic Sailing crew sailing in the sea in one year.

Not your thing, then sponsor Eve’s skipper Debbie in the 1 mile open water Castle to Castle swim across Falmouth Estuary (29th May) –raising money for the RNLI lifeguards.

Best Voyages for swimming in the middle of summer

AJ 1112    Annabel J's extended Scillies and Cornish Coast voyage     22nd June - 1st July - 9 days for £995

Sailing in Scotland & Norway is – ‘Wild Camping’ without the Tent

Every magazine from Coast to Wanderlust is promoting wild camping, which is all very evocative in the photos but have you ever tried packing it all into a rucksack ? How carefree can you be with your home and food on your back in the wilderness ?

We reckon exploring the Outer Hebrides, Scottish Highlands, Shetland, Norway or Sweden on a self sufficient tall ship is a lot more comfortable way of roughing it. You have still left the car behind for a week or more but with a decent bunk to sleep in; good company; you can still eat ‘al fresco’ but a chef and all the food comes with you .

You have plenty of physical exercise hauling on blocks and tackles and long midsummer days in the great outdoors. You can spot otters, dolphins and seals from the deck or aloft, and they are rarely frightened by sailing vessels. The ships boats can land you ashore but you can also retreat back to the ship offshore and enjoy a generally midge free opportunity to watch the sun set behind the mountains.