Hirta

Hirta on her sea trials in 1911
Hirta, a 35ton pilot cutter, was built in 1911. She stars in my book ‘Topsail and Battleaxe’ and was part of a major BBC1 television series. She was built for Pilot Morrice in Polruan at Slade’s Yard (now Tom’s) and was originally named Cornubia. After she left the pilot service, she went up to Scotland where the Earl of Bute used her to visit St Kilda and renamed her Hirta. She stayed up there for many years and passed to the Bergius family from whom I bought her. A very sea-kindly boat which carried us far and wide in safety, speed and comfort and looked after us well for the fifteen years we owned her. She has now been rebuilt and renamed Cornubia.