Welcome to the Pioneer Website

Head east to the shores of the Colne and Blackwater and there, among the creeks, you may well see one of the few remaining inshore Essex smacks. It's a glorious sight. But sadly there is one sight that no-one living today has ever seen - a first class deep sea Essex smack under sail.

Once there were scores of these deep sea smacks to be seen. Known as "skillingers" for their work dredging off Terschelling; a sandbank over 100 miles north-east of Orford Ness, they plied what was described as "the hardest and cruellest trade that Essex man ever worked". Registered at Colchester, they were the largest dredging fleet around the shores of Britain.

But for all the scores of deep sea smacks built along the banks of Colneside and the River Blackwater, only one remains. And until just five years ago, this remnant lay broken and abandoned in the mud at West Mersea. Her name was Pioneer. When built in 1864, she represented the pinnacle of Essex working sail.

Watch the Pioneer Video.
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The Pioneer Sailing Trust

The Pioneer Sailing Trust was set up in 1999 to restore back to sailing condition the last remaining 1st Class Essex Skillinger Smack Pioneer. As you can see from the pictures she was another example of Britain's Maritime Heritage left to perish. By viewing this site it is possible to follow her progress from the mud of West Mersea in Essex towards her first sea trials.

Sail aboard Pioneer in 2010

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD BROCHURE ON LEFT SIDE OF THIS PAGE

Pioneer has a full sailing programme for 2010. She is now fitted out with accommodation for groups of 12, and her 3 professional crew. Pioneer sails out of Brightlingsea, near Colchester, Essex on the river Colne between April and October and normally works with groups of 10 young people and 2 leaders, but we do take adult groups as well. Operating under the Maritime Coastguard Agency she certificated to operate in category 2, this enables her to sail most of the North Sea and English Channel or maybe you would require just a day sail in the River Colne and Blackwater or a few days around the Thames Estuary.
For more details please call Bradwell Outdoors on 01621 776062 or use the email form on the left of this page.