Plymouth Pilots

Plymouth Pilots Hand Crafted, traditionally styled motor launches since 1969. "Your adventure, our legacy"
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๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐—น๐—น ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐˜?It is one of the first questions to answer before buying.Not the most exciting que...
03/09/2026

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐—น๐—น ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐˜?

It is one of the first questions to answer before buying.

Not the most exciting question, admittedly. But it can make the difference between a boat that gets used and a boat that becomes awkward before you have even left the mooring.

Can it take the ground?
Will it suit a swinging mooring, trot mooring or marina berth?
Can it be launched and recovered without drama?
Where will it go over winter?

Weโ€™ve written a practical guide to mooring, launching and storing a Plymouth Pilot, including the bit many people overlook: making sure the trailer actually suits the hull.

Worth a read if you are thinking seriously about boat ownership.

๐Ÿ‘‰ https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/news-blog/mooring-launching-storing-a-pilot

The July newsletter has just been released so check your email if you're a member of the Plymouth Pilots Owners Club. If...
31/07/2026

The July newsletter has just been released so check your email if you're a member of the Plymouth Pilots Owners Club.

If you haven't signed up yet, it's free to join here: https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/owners-club-signup

We haven't got any other events planned for this season but with weather like this, we're sure to see some of you on the water!

๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐›๐จ๐š๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ž๐ฑ๐œ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ.Choosing the layout, the engine, the colour and all the finishing touches is what m...
31/07/2026

๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐›๐จ๐š๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ž๐ฑ๐œ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฉ๐š๐ซ๐ญ.

Choosing the layout, the engine, the colour and all the finishing touches is what most new owners naturally focus on. But some of the most important parts of boat ownership are not found on the specification sheet.

Is your mooring ready and properly rigged?

Do you have the right anchor for your local waters?

Is your VHF licensed and registered with an MMSI number?

Does your insurance cover the boat throughout the winter?

Have you arranged storage before the local yards fill up?

None of these things is especially difficult to resolve. They are simply easy to overlook until the boat is nearly ready for the water.

We have brought together 13 of the practical details that frequently catch new boat owners by surprise, along with advice on when to start dealing with them.

Read the full guide: https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/news-blog/things-missed-buying-a-boat

A boat is ready when everything around her is ready too, not just everything on her.

What a brilliant day we had in Fowey on Saturday for our final Plymouth Pilot Owners Club meet of the season.We started ...
21/07/2026

What a brilliant day we had in Fowey on Saturday for our final Plymouth Pilot Owners Club meet of the season.

We started with brunch at the Royal Fowey Yacht Club before six Plymouth Pilots headed out together to Lantic Bay. Good food, great company and a beautiful location for our boats to gather on the water.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day such a success. It was a fitting way to round off this yearโ€™s owners meets.

Last week We wrote about what maintenance actually involves on a small motorboat. This week it is the question that sits...
16/07/2026

Last week We wrote about what maintenance actually involves on a small motorboat. This week it is the question that sits behind that one: will it actually break down on me?

The honest answer is that the engine probably will not. A modern marine diesel, looked after properly, is one of the most dependable bits of kit you can run. What causes problems far more often is the fuel system, the electrics and the maintenance that started to slide a season or two ago.

We have written this up on the blog because the question deserves a straight answer. Worth a read if you are at the stage of working out whether a motorboat fits your life.

https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/news-blog/how-reliable-are-small-motor-boats

A flat battery has ruined more days on the water than anything dramatic.Forecast is great, the tide right and your day i...
09/07/2026

A flat battery has ruined more days on the water than anything dramatic.

Forecast is great, the tide right and your day is free. Then the engine will not turn over properly. Nothing's broken, but the battery has sat too long without a charge.

That is what maintenance looks like in real life most of the time. Not big repairs, not yard bills. The small thing that did not get done.

New owners often picture boat maintenance as a long list of specialist jobs they will not be able to tackle. The reality on a small displacement boat like a Plymouth Pilot is a lot more manageable. An annual engine service. Antifoul every year or two. A few smaller jobs as the boat ages.

We have written a new blog walking through what maintenance actually looks like on this kind of boat, based on the real jobs that come up year to year.

Worth a read if you have been wondering whether boat ownership is going to eat your weekends. It does not have to.

https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/news-blog/what-plymouth-pilot-maintenance-looks-like

2016 Plymouth Pilot 16 "Kitty" for sale. We currently have a lovely example of a Plymouth Pilot 16 available through our...
07/07/2026

2016 Plymouth Pilot 16 "Kitty" for sale.

We currently have a lovely example of a Plymouth Pilot 16 available through our brokerage.

Finished in traditional Rail Blue with teak rubbing strakes and stainless steel half rounds, Kitty has had one owner from new. She is fitted with a Yanmar 14hp diesel engine with approximately 100 hours on the clock.

This vessel is currently located on the River Yealm. Full details, photographs and additional information are available on the website: https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/product/plymouth-pilot-16-kitty

Viewings to be arranged through Plymouth Pilots. Call us on 01752 482588 or email [email protected].

Have you booked to come to the next Owners Meet?The final meet of the season is in Fowey on the 18th July. We have plann...
06/07/2026

Have you booked to come to the next Owners Meet?

The final meet of the season is in Fowey on the 18th July. We have planned a brunch followed by an afternoon of boating. Available tickets for the brunch are limited and will close this Friday the 10th July. The link is on the Owners Club dashboard.

Not a member? You can sign up here: https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/owners-club-signup


๐—ช๐—ต๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—น๐˜†๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฃ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€?It is a question we get asked fairly often, especially when so ma...
02/07/2026

๐—ช๐—ต๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฃ๐—น๐˜†๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฃ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€?

It is a question we get asked fairly often, especially when so many small boats now use outboards.

The answer is not simply tradition.

A Plymouth Pilot is a displacement boat, designed for steady cruising, predictable handling and control at low speed. An inboard diesel suits that job particularly well.

It sits low in the boat, keeps the weight where it should be and drives a protected propeller beneath the hull. That matters when you are coming alongside, picking up a mooring or simply pottering along the coast.

Outboards are excellent on the boats they are designed for. But for a traditional displacement launch, an inboard diesel is often the better fit.

Weโ€™ve explained why in the latest blog.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Read the full blog: https://www.plymouthpilots.co.uk/news-blog/why-plymouth-pilots-use-inboard-diesels

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Plymton
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