What an evening!

A couple of weeks back I had a wonderful evening that only came about in a very ad hoc sort of way.

One of the things I find is that the more things you do in the community the more wonderful opportunities come your way. (Enough philosophy Ed)

As you may know I am a keen gig boat rower and have also considerable experience of coxing them.

Skip this bit if you know about gig boats.

You can see a gig boat in the photo above, Debbie the skipper of Tallulah is rowing in No 1 seat, in the bows of Killigerran one of the Roseland Gig Clubs boats. Briefly pilot gig boats are traditional Cornish clinker boats that originated by taking Pilots onto tall ships when there was no wind. The first pilot to the ship got the job so there was a big incentive to have a fast rowing boat with a strong quick crew. In the Mid to late 1800’s people began to race them. That racing was restarted in the 1980’s and St Mawes was a major player in the set up.

The Start

The Tuesday evening on the 9th of July I was due to pick up Debbie’s car from Falmouth and drive it back to St Mawes. This entailed catching the foot ferry to Falmouth from St Mawes. Debbie would be  getting the provisions and laundry onboard for Tallalahs voyage to the Brest Festival of the Sea. Tallulah was in Falmouth as the wind was not favourable for mooring in St Mawes.

About midday I received a phone call asking if I could cox a Women’s Supervets rowing team for one of my gig clubs, Flushing and Mylor Pilot Gig Club. This worked nicely as I could use both the St Mawes Falmouth ferry and Falmouth Flushing ferry to get to Flushing in time for an evening row and the crew captain offered to give a lift to Debbies car in Falmouth after the row.

So I set out for a bit of joined up ferry logistics and got nicely on time to Flushing gig club.

Vessel No 1 – Gig Boats

If you think you know about gig boats you may not know this bit.

‘The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oar rowing boat, clinker-built of Cornish narrow-leaf elm, 32 feet (9.8 m) long with a beam of 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 m). ( Definition from Wikipedia.)

What Wikipedia fails to tell you is that all newly built wooden pilot gigs have to be built to the same specification to make racing fair. So back in the 1980’s they chose an original surviving gig boat that was considered the best design, the Treffry,  as the standard for all new gigs.

The “Treffry” built 1838 by William Peters in St Mawes at Freshwater Boatyard. Freshwater Boatyard is still working and it is where we keep our three small wooden boats, No 8, Outdoor Girl and Wild Boy. Those three boats all have a story to tell on another day.

It’s a pleasure.

Coxing is a great joy to me, it combines many things I really enjoy, boat handling, being on the water and team building. Through the gig boats and sailing I get out on the water nearly twice every week for nearly every week of the year, come rain, snow or sun.

Vessel No 2 – Tallulah 

Rowing from Kiln Quay on the Flushing shoreline we warmed up by heading through the moorings until we reached Tallulah which we did a tight turn around to show off. This gave me a chance to say hello to some friends on board and Bon Voyage to the wonderful woman Debbie, my wife. Tallulah’s lovely lines and striking Teal colour were much admired.

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Blasts on Horn announces vessel No 3

Not mine but the Portugues four masted schooner rigged tall ship Santa Maria Manuela. She was giving a goodbye toot toot as she sailed out of Falmouth Harbour. I waved at the Captain Joa, but I don’t think he saw me. If he did we would just be perceived as a little boat that might get in the way! Not that we got in the way, heaven’s forbid I should hinder a huge tall ship! Out she went looking magnificent and just as I remembered her when I sailed on her in the Cape Verde.

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In a little over 60 minutes from a small gig boat past a pilot cutter to a four masted tall ship, and the sun was out! 

From a simple task, collecting a car, I was able to have a wonderful evening on the water. 

Join in

You can sail on Tallulah and Santa Maria Manuela with Classic Sailing and if you come to St Mawes Quay on a Wednesday summer evening you can ask to get a row in a Cornish Pilot Gig Boat for a small donation to the Roseland Gig Club.

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