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Cariad

Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter

History

Cariad was built  in 1904 by Edwin 'Cracker' Rowles for a Cardiff pilot, Thomas Richards and she was registered at Cardiff on February 9th 1905.

Cariad’s hull, deck and rig have been restored as close as possible to her pilot cutter days, down below is how Frank Carr illustrated it.

Keep up to date with al the latest news from Cariad and her crew with her blog. Where is Cariad  in 2010?

One of the oldest pilot boats listed in the National Historic Ships register.

Cariad (welsh for loved one) was the last working sail-powered pilot cutter in 1922. She later found fame as one of the yachts featured in Frank Carr's 1936 book “A Yachtsman's Log”. By 1972 Cariad was owned by Exeter Maritime Museum and despite good intentions she fell into disrepair.

In 1997 she was rescued by Ken Briggs and underwent   restoration in Portishead, just a few miles from where she was built. Cariad was re-launched in 2006.

Cariad appears in the BBC Four and National Maritime Museum's 'The Boats That Made Britain'...>>

Cariad News

Restoration

Welcome to cariad.org

Cariad’s trip to the Paimpol festival in July was very much a spur of the moment decision...>>

Tim Pratt’s history of Cariad from 1904 to 2004, from last pilot cutter to her restoration...>>

Builder: E Rowles, Pill, near Bristol

Build Date: 1904

Length overall: 47 ft (14.33 m)

Beam: 12.75 ft (3.89 m)

Displacement: 30 Tonnes

Draft: 7.50 ft (2.29 m)

Cariad, cruising on the river Exe, date unknown.

Leaving Bristol Harbour Festival with Mascotte, July 2006.

Just launched and in need of more ballast, Portishaed June 2006.