Our story: The Early Years
A short history of Plymouth Pilots boatbuilders
“The advent of GRP had produced a boom in the boatbuilding industry and the MMC had grown from just the two of us laying up dinghies in the back of my house at Buckland Monachorum in 1963, to close on 30 employees, churning out marine and industrial mouldings for all and sundry, in a once derelict dairy farm near Saltram House.” Mike Challis
1963
Mike Challis and good friend Pat Hallam founded Monachorum Manufacturing Company. Pat, a former GRP shop manager from Hurley Marine and Mike, an experienced mechanical engineer started building fibreglass pram dinghies in Mike’s Garage!
1964
MMC started moulding the Bowman 26 for Norman Boatyard, moulding the 11 produced before it was redesigned to become the Hurley 27.
During the 1969 London Boat Show, it was decided that it was about time that they started to build something under their own name. The search was on!!
The now very familiar shape of the Plymouth Pilot was conceived by the two west country craftsman, after finding inspiration from an old Teignmouth pilot launch that was operated as a local ferry on the River Yealm.
1969
“Pat Hallam, my friend and business partner, and I walked around the 1969 Boat Show at Earl's Court looking at all the boats our firm had produced mouldings for - Wayfarer and Scorpion racing dinghies for Westerly Boats of Rock, Otter hulls and Seal superstructures for John Baker of Kenton Forge, and the Bowman 26ft sloop for Normand Boatyard of Dartmouth, and Pat said he thought it was about time the Monachorum Manufacturing Company (MMC) made something to sell under its own name, apart from our Minipram yacht's tenders.” Mike Challis.
After much searching around the rivers and harbours of Devon and Cornwall, a small ferry used by Newton Ferrers ferryman Len Carter caught Pat’s eye. Len explained that before serving as a ferry, the boat had been used by the Teignmouth pilots to cross the tricky river bar to meet ships bound for the docks. She had been built by the respected Teignmouth boatbuilders Morgan Giles, renowned for their fine craftsmanship. Taking inspiration from her beautiful, practical lines, a line drawing was commissioned and from it, the first Plymouth Pilot was born.
1970
Once line drawings were obtained, work started on the Plymouth Pilot 16’ in 1969, with the first boat built in 1970.
The initial wooden concept of the 18’ was displayed at the 1971 London Earl’s Court Boat show, with the first complete set of 18’ mouldings displayed that same year at the Southampton boat show.
1971
In the early days, many people who couldn’t afford a new boat built their own Plymouth Pilot using the hull mouldings as the foundation. As well as saving money, there was great satisfaction in building a boat yourself - something well within the abilities of anyone handy with basic tools. A 44-page illustrated Building Manual guided owners through bonding wood to fibreglass, assembling mouldings, engine choice, installation and more.
Fibreglass deck moulding was introduced.
1972
The first Saltram 24’, later known as the Plymouth Pilot 24’, was launched.’ This was initially moulded by Monachorum Manufacturing for another local boatyard.
1973
In the same year, the cuddy was introduced for the 18’.
An alternate cuddy was produced for WGM Products and named the ‘Spurling 18’.
In 1988, G Lawton (the foreman at the time and long standing employee of MMC) took over the moulds and subsequent production of boats.
1988
When Geoff Lawton took over production of Plymouth Pilots, it was decided that due to changes in lifestyle, the focus would move from kit boats to providing complete semi-bespoke boats to meet the needs of individual customers.
To aid the production in an ever-competitive market, additional mouldings were introduced to eliminate traditional wooden parts from deteriorating. These included the introduction of the floor bearer and engine bed mould produced in 1989, followed by GRP sole, bulkhead, locker and engine box moulds.
1989
In 2009, Neil Humphrey bought the business, continuing to work closely with Geoff Lawton to maintain the high standard and pedigree that is expected from the Plymouth Pilot range of boats.
2009
2011
Return to the Southampton International Boatshow! Ten days of talking about boats from dawn till dusk!
2019
Works starts on upgrading our workshop to allow us to accommodate a greater range of work, including winter storage and refits.
