Pilot gigs of the Isles of Scilly. Cornwall UK.

Pilot gigs of the Isles of Scilly

How pilot gigs stared.

The gigs are 32 feet long wooden boats with 6 rowing positions and a cox. Gigs are thought to of originated in Cornwall in the 18th century and soon became popular in the Isles of Scilly. They were originally used to take pilots out to ships in the Atlantic. The first crew from the harbour to the ship would get paid to do the piloting job. At one time there were over 20 gigs competing to get to ships around the Isles of Scilly. Many ships have been wrecked there, so a local pilot was essential to navigate through these treacherous waters. The new gigs are built by the template of the Treffry that was built by the Peters family in 1838.

The Isles of Scilly gigs became obsolete. Some were converted in to other boats, some were left to rot or were cut up and used as firewood but in the 1960's gig racing started. Now there is a mens race every Friday and a ladies race every Wednesday throughout the summer. Lots of new gigs have been built but some from the 1800's are still used.

Here are some of my photos of the gigs with some information about them.

The Bonnett

The Bonnett is a St Mary's gig built by Peters of St Mawes in 1830 It's hard to believe that this boat is over 170 years old.

The Czar

The Czar of Tresco and Bryher was built in 1879 by Peters of St Mawes.

The Dauntles

The Dauntles of St Martin's built by Mortons in 2001

The Dolphin

The Dolphin of St Martin's built in 1969 by Tom Chudleigh

The Galatea

The Galatea St Martin's built in 2001 by Ralph Bird.

The Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle of St. Mary's built in 1870 by Peters of St Mawes.

The Men-a-Vaur

The Men-a-Vaur of Tresco built in 1981 by Gerald Pearn.

The Nornour

The Nornour of St Mary's buily 1971 by Gerald Pearn.

The Shah of St. Agnes

The Shah of St. Agnes built in 1873 by Peters of St Mawes.

The Tregarthen's

The Tregarthen's built in 1999 by David & Jim Currah.

A closer view during the race. Rowing a gig takes a lot of effort.

Another photo of the Bonnet

Watching the race.

Watching a gig race is good fun, especially if there are big waves. These boats can row in very rough sea. Several boats take visitors out to watch and as you can see from these photos, you can get some close views of the rowers.

Gig racing is very popular in the Isles of Scilly, around Cornwall and in many places around the world. In 2017, more than a thousand competitors took part in 150 boats in the 28th annual World Pilot Gig Championships held in the Isles of Scilly.

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