Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose

08/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 8: Pack down & de-rig...

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:
With the hull all shiny, everything else now looked even shabbier! In fairness the plan was always to bring the whole boat back up to showroom condition, so it was straight on with the next phase. With Winter coming this mostly consisted of bedding her down and doing some pre-emptive work to stop any deterioration over the winter months...

07/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 7: Snagging and splashing - BONUS VIDEO 2

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

07/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 7: Snagging and splashing - BONUS VIDEO 1

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

07/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 7: Snagging and splashing

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:
Remember all those bits we noticed when we pulled her out. The bits that weren't to do with painting were the focus of the last days as we raced towards relaunch... Anodes, log paddlewheels, prop - all needed attention cos we wanted her to be "right". And then, "splash" the underwater bits were inaccessible once more. She didn't leak. Phew. Refit Stage 1 Complete. Only two more stages to go. Everything above decks, and everything below... Hmmmmm. This story continues!

06/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 6: Fiddly bits - BONUS VIDEO!

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

06/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 6: Fiddly bits!

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:

If there's one thing that causes more of a love/hate reaction in me about this stunning boat, it's the fiddly bits. They are what makes her the work of art that she is. But boy oh boy, they are fiddly to the max. Amelie Rose's bow and stern carvings and her name board really make her stand out - especially in that vibrant orange against the dark blue. But this work took at least as long as any part of painting the hull.

05/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 5: Bulwarks and Name-board - BONUS VIDEO!

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

05/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 5: Bulwarks and Name-board

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:

With the topsides and underwater hull done it's time to turn our attention to the bulwarks. I love this blue - the blue and orange are Amelie Rose's trademark and the combo really pops. But the blue is my favourite colour on board. International Paints Mauritius Blue. The only "yachts" paint on board, everything else is trade or domestic gloss, but that blue...

04/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 4: Antifouling - Bonus Video!

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

04/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 4: Antifouling

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:

Antifouling. Yuck! It's horrid stuff but necessary to keep marine growth under control. It's at this point that you start to realise quite how much hull there is down there. 24 tons displacement equates to an awful lot of surface area ,and every inch of it needs coverage. We aim for 2 coats plus a third on leading and trailing edges and around the waterline.

03/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 3: Topsides and Ironwork/Stappings

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:

We spent quite a bit of time thinking through the order of things and decided that getting the strappings (ironwork anchors for shrouds and backstays) sorted and then painting "the middle bit" was the way to go to minimise dripping etc. So I treated, prepped and painting the ironwork whilst Jez got on with preparation of the topsides.

02/02/2025

Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose's "Prep for Sale" Refit - In 28 Days - Day 2.

We are spending February sharing pictures from last year's "Prep for Sale" Refit. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's ready for you RIGHT NOW... (Link in the comments or check out her page).

On with the show:
With the boat jet washed and blocked off it's time to see what work we need to do. The first step to that is to clean off all the muck that's stuck to her. Then we wandered around adding anything that needed attention to our work list. It's a good chance to sound out the hull too - checking for any soft patches or dead sounding wood. Great news! Solid as the day she first splashed!

01/02/2025

We had so much fun sharing the pictures of her build that we thought we'd celebrate the last 28 days of (Northern Hemisphere) Winter by sharing pictures of the refit that happened 15 years later...

What follows over the next month was actually about 3 months of hard graft. Getting her ready for her next 15 years, and her next owners. That's right - we've done all this work so that YOU don't have to. She's FOR SALE and she's all ready for you right now... (Link in the comments).

On with the show... First up, Lift out!

08/01/2025

Bee "The Sail" Horton. Topsail Adventures/Amelie Rose would not be what we are without you. You will be forever treasured in our hearts. We love you, go easy ###

Jan 8 - "Belinda"

Gone not forgotten
A true instinctive sailor
The greatest of friends"

Bee "the Sail" Horton appeared on deck one day, many years ago, when we were wintering at Poole Town Quay. Declaring her love for Amelie Rose, and essentially announcing that she was going to be her first mate. And she did, and was amazing. Instrumental in helping us to achieve our mission from there on, growing quickly to become one of my closest friends - my big Sis...

Bee was an amazingly resilient and instinctive sailor - regularly managing 6+ hour stints on the helm, in all weathers and sea states, with not a hint of dissent, (as long as I kept her supplied with rollies and coffee). 

Co-author of the "Boil in the Bag Topsail" - familiar to many Amelie Rose guests who have benefitted from it. Belinda and I shared too many adventures to list them all here, but I remember so many times where I was grateful for her presence.

I remember "Wobbly sticks of death" as we nosed up Morlaix river in failing light, I remember too many "interesting" crossings to the Channel Islands for the Set Sail Trust event. I remember several hairy Round the Island races, but most of all I remember how indefatigable and warm and loving Bee was. Like all big sisters I could have cheerfully strangled her at times too of course, but that's the nature of families, right?

In later years when she could no longer sail with us, she was always there when we ripped a sail or needed a hand. She was one of the first people to know about my transition, recognising the true me without dropping beat. She was an amazing friend. One that is gone too soon.

I love you Bee, go easy ###



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26/12/2024

Amelie Rose Advent Calendar - Dec 26: Sea trials

Here, as a little bonus, is one extra window for our advent calendar... These shots were taken during Amelie Rose's sea trials in Carrick Roads and Falmouth Harbour approaches...

Hope you've enjoyed the show!

Join us this December at Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose as we open doors in our advent calendar of the archive of her build - 15 years ago...

Of course if you don't fancy building one of your own you could just buy this one. Find out more on her page :o)

25/12/2024

Amelie Rose Advent Calendar - Dec 25: Happy Amelie Rose Day!

And here we are... 18 months in just 25 days ending with pictures from Amelie Rose's launch day - April 24th 2009. Of course there was still so much to do; sails to bend on, systems to commission, final finishing to, well, finish. But the last picture shows her afloat. With over 60 people on deck!

We hope that you've enjoyed this little series as much as we've enjoyed our little wander down memory lane. And remember - if you think that you'd like to own a boat like this, you actually can. You can buy this one - just head over to her page and send us a message :o)

Join us this December at Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose as we open doors in our advent calendar of the archive of her build - 15 years ago...

Of course if you don't fancy building one of your own you could just buy this one. Find out more on her page :o)

24/12/2024

“Christmas at Sea” 1926
Anton Otto Fischer

24/12/2024

Amelie Rose Advent Calendar - Dec 24: Rig!

So here we are, the final batch of pictures before the big reveal tomorrow...

And finally she has a rig, the masts and spars are lifted into place, that missing windlass is fitted, her carvings get some colour, a prop appears, blocks are prepped and she really begins to look like a ship who wants to get to sea...

Join us this December at Pilot Cutter Amelie Rose as we open doors in our advent calendar of the archive of her build - 15 years ago...

Of course if you don't fancy building one of your own you could just buy this one. Find out more on her page :o)