FROM THE LOFT FLOOR TO THE SEA / Christian Topf

From the Loft Floor to the Sea is photographer and designer Christian Topf's detailed visual diary of the construction of the 68-foot Pilot Cutter "Pellew" by Luke Powell and his team in Cornwall. The largest traditional wooden sailing boat to be built in the UK for decades is presented in 360 large-format colour pages - in one of the most comprehensive and sumptuous books ever to report on such a process of creation.

In 2015, a group of enthusiasts decided to rebuild a large pilot cutter. The Falmouth Pilot Cutter Community Interest Company (CIC) was set up to preserve the traditional skills of boat building and sailing under sail. A sister ship to the "Vincent" was to be built for this purpose. Built in 1852 for the Vincent family of St Mawes, she was one of Cornwall's most successful pilot cutters. A stately vessel measuring 61 feet in the waterline and 90 feet across the spars.

The keel was laid in May 2017, and three years later the "Pellew" - named after Edward Pellew, a great Cornish frigate captain of the late 17th century - set sail from Falmouth. She is a testament to the art and craft of traditional wooden boat building - as is the book describing her creation.

Christian Topf sailed the oceans on the Baltic Trader "Fri", restored by environmentalists, before settling in Cornwall. He was Art Editor of Classic Boat magazine, Art Director of The Boatman and The Yachtsman and has designed numerous books including Working Sail (Article-No. 9225-004). See further down on this page under "Similar products".

Chris visited the shipyard in Truro almost every week during the construction of the "Pellew" and thus created a book (weighing just under two kilograms) that makes you literally smell the sawdust, hot pitch and linseed oil when you look at it.

You can find a sample under "Downloads & Information".

360 pages. Hundreds of colour photos. Format 27.5 x 21.5 cm, hardcover with sewn binding, matt laminated. In English.