Our gig is a rescue from a naval dockyard. Her name is Kiah. She was about to be scrapped but we are delighted to have restored her to her former glory and glides like a dream. Her restoration journey is well documented on our Instagram.
Pilot gigs were originally used to race a skilled ship’s pilot out to large vessels arriving in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The crew who were first to arrive at the ship would board the pilot and they would take these larger vessels safely through their onward journey, through shallow coastal waters. For this all involved would be paid a handsome fee. Today, gig racing is fiercely contested across the South West of England, with clubs emerging all across the World.