It was a stormy summer sailing Agnes this year; Sailing first to Brest and Dz, then up the Irish sea, fighting winds and mountainous waves, to the Isle of Man. We were wonderfully received in the lovely castle harbour of Peel, at their Trad Boat Festival. On our return, more storms, we caught a freak wave that rather overwhelmed Agnes. When she shook her self free the bow sprit was torn off by the weight of water. The top mast also went by the board. After sorting out the mess, we carried on sailing back to Falmouth. She sailed very happily under reduced rig. This shows how she can be more manageable, when I sail into my old age, every decade older, I can saw a bit off the rig.

 

 

Now into the winter season Amelie Rose is advancing well. The cabins are built. The layout is a bit different to her sister Ezra with a more spacious saloon. Again, being built for charter she has four bunks in the fo’c’sle, a nice big wood burning stove amidships that will run three radiators, and a heated towel rail in the heads. In the saloon there is the usual arrangement with the pilot berth set back behind the seating, and a large oak table for nine. Two large double berths back aft. The galley is well equipped for quality catering The varnished oak makes it all look very elegant.

She will stay in the shed through the winter only coming out at the last moment to rig before the launch in April

A vessel that I have always wanted to build is the Queen, at 54 foot cutter, this is the vessel that started my interest in pilot cutters from the Isles of Scilly. A beautiful cutter, she would be a great project,

 

 

This is one of the few photographs of the Queen, lying beached on St. Martin in the 1890’s. Originally built by Francis Banfield in 1855 she worked as a pilot cutter until being put ashore on 27 June1889 when the pilot trade was in decline.