In pictures: A closer look at visiting Tall Ships on a 2,000 mile trip
After two traditionally rigged tall ships tied up in Stromness for a four-day visit, The Orcadian has taken a behind the scenes tour of the vessels.
The Spirit of Falmouth and Pellew are visiting the county as part of a 2,000-mile UK expedition aiming to raise £300,000 to assist military veteran sailing charity, Turn to Starboard, purchase a second tall ship.
This is in order to assist more veterans facing PTSD, physical injury, isolation and a loss of confidence.
Built in 1984, the Spirit of Falmouth is a 92-foot wooden gaff-rigged tall ship. She is a replica Mersey Pilot Schooner, built using traditional methods.
Her history has mainly seen her being used by youth groups under supervision to take disadvantaged children and young adults on sailing trips, before she was donated to Turn to Starboard in 2014.
Pellew is a faithful recreation of one of the longest surviving and best documented of Falmouth’s Pilot cutters Vincent.
The original boat was built in 1852 for the Vincent family of St Mawes. She worked for 70 years until she was retired in 1922, ending her days up the Percuil river as a house-boat.
Pellew has been built using traditional wooden boat building methods and is one of the largest and fastest Pilot Cutters to be built in modern times.
She is named after Edward Pellew, who ran away to sea at 14 to rise through the ranks of the Royal Navy to become, during the Napoleonic Wars, the greatest frigate captain of his time.
