Name of Pilot Boat: Southampton or Isle of Wight

[Samuel Halpern]

The rules of the road make a powered vessel burdened when encountering a sailing vessel.

The exception is a large vessel operating in confined waters. It is encumbered for small and sailing vessels to stay out of way of a large vessel in a narrow channel simply because they can, while the large vessel is confined to navigate within the channel because of their draft.

"RULE 9 Narrow Channels (b). A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."

 

[Doug Criner]

OK, that clarifies it for me. I knew that was how it actually worked, but didn't know the rules. In the case of USS Theodore Roosevelt's visit to the Solent, the instructions issued by the local authorities were perhaps icing on the cake? Or maybe to guard against any terrorist attack?

The problem is that some of those small sailboats violating the rules have scantily clad girls, waving to the navy sailors.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

The problem is that some of those small sailboats violating the rules have scantily clad girls, waving to the navy sailors.

Yep, terrorist diversionary tactics.

 

[Rob Lawes]

The problem is that some of those small sailboats violating the rules have scantily clad girls, waving to the navy sailors

Never once saw that in 22 years. Most of the time entering Portsmouth or Plymouth it was too wet and cold for anyone to be scantily clad.

 

[Georges Guay]

What brings you to believe that Smith charged into a known ice-field in the middle of the night, Georges? Where is the incontrovertible proof that he did so?

I think that Capt. Smith was such a good BoT Certified British Deck Officer that if he would’ve received a steam message warning him that there was an iceberg at an exact DGPS-WAAS position, he would have hit another one 20 nautical miles away!

 

[Jim Currie]

I think that Capt. Smith was such a good BoT Certified British Deck Officer that if he would’ve received a steam message warning him that there was an iceberg at an exact DGPS-WAAS position, he would have hit another one 20 nautical miles away!

Eh?

 

[Harland Duzen]

Re analysing the photo, I noticed the ketch actually has the letter W stamped on it's sail. Could this identify it? I going to continue searching.

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

Re analysing the photo, I noticed the ketch actually has the letter W stamped on it sail. Could this identify it? I going to continue searching.
View attachment 3756

If you look carefully you will see on the sail "I.W. No. 1" which means it is the pilot boat No. 1 from the Isle of Wight.

And this is a fact and no opinion!

 

[Harland Duzen]

We did it! We solved the Mystery! Woo hoo!

(Starts Punching Air and Whooping around room.)

I definitely going to use this in my book! Thank You!

 

[Harland Duzen]

Here's a photo from google search!

I going to hope the word "PILOTS" was added later.

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

Yes I can not make out the word "Pilots" on the other picture. I think the "No. 1" at the bow was also added. We see it is now missing at the sail which (in 1912) had "No. 1" on it and below it the letters "I W".

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

Unfortunately I can not find the high quality version of that photo, not sure where I have placed it.
Have try to work on one with a less resolution and have add what is on the sail visible.

 

[Rob Lawes]

I wonder if any of those boats survived?

They're rather beautiful in a functional way. They are the sort of vessels that find their way into small maritime museums as surviving examples of their type.

 

[Rob Lawes]

Further to my last, it seems that not only did a large number of these vessels survive but every year around the UK there is a pilot cutter regatta featuring these vessels racing.

Who knew?

 

[Harland Duzen]

Here's a more clearer photo from the book: "Pilot Cutters Under Sail: Pilots and Pilotage in Britain and Northern Europe" by Tom Cunliffe (Pilot Cutters Under Sail: Pilots and Pilotage in Britain and Northern Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Tom Cunliffe: 9781848321540: Books)