Yes, the weather's dreadful but spare a thought for those
whose work continues rain or shine, day or night and whatever the swell out in
the Torridge estuary.
The Bideford Pilot is an insightful and dramatic new short
film showing the work of the pilot, Roger Hoad, who guides ships safely into
Bideford, Appledore or Yelland. In the film, Roger says "People from Bideford often
open their curtains to find a ship down at the quay. They go to work while the
ship is being loaded and the next morning it has vanished again."
The Bideford Pilot is one of ten short films in the Boat
Stories series and local historian Peter Christie, who presented the Bideford
premiere screening of the series, commented "I was delighted to see the
films which really explored one of those parts of the North Devon economy that
we all talk about yet very few see at first hand. It was especially good to see
the film on Roger Hoad, the Bideford harbour pilot, whose essential work often
happens at very unsocial hours (tides wait for no man not even Roger) and is
often very challenging."
Before she began research on the film, Boat Stories producer
Jo Stewart-Smith thought that escorting incoming ships over the notorious
Bideford Bar would be the most difficult part of the pilot's job. Jo commented "I know now that
transferring the pilot on and off the big ships, gaining the trust of a new
captain quickly so the pilot can effectively control the ship, guiding the
ships up and down the tidal river through the narrow constantly changing
channels and turning a 6,000 tonnes ship against a flood tide - are all tough,
challenging tasks."
The work has its rewards as well as its challenges and crew
member Thom Flaxman says "I get to see some lovely sunrises and sunsets
and appreciate the beauty of the river at all hours of the day and night. Some
winter nights the deck of the Pilot Boat is just a sheet of ice. When you're hauling
on a line it's worth hanging onto the boat as there's nothing to stop your
boots from sliding straight over the side."
John Pavitt is coxwain of the pilot boat and it's his job to
keep Roger safe, positioning the boat so they are not in danger of squashing him
or breaking his legs. He tells us
"For all the technology that has come along nothing has changed from the
pilot’s point of view. He is still hanging on to a rope ladder on the side of
the ship under any conditions and it’s the crew of the pilot boat that have to
get him safely off and on..."
During the recent storm 'Frank' the pilot crew were out
working in winds up to 30 knots, escorting the Celtic Warrior out from Yelland
Quay. The ship's master was concerned that transferring the pilot down the long
ladder would be too dangerous due to the pitching and rolling but as Roger Hoad
said in typically understated fashion "in the event all went well and the
crew did a good job in quite testing conditions."
Watching the film has had a lasting impact on Instow
resident Jim McCormack "I can see the estuary from my garden and when I'm
outside at night I look out across the bar and spare a thought for the Bideford
pilot - remembering that dramatic scene in the film where he takes his life in
his hands as he jumps from the small pilot boat onto a rope ladder dangling
from the giant cargo ship."
You can watch the Bideford Pilot along with the other nine
Boat Stories short films at www.boatstories.co.uk.
