PLYMOUTH PILOTS

Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2026

1. Who we are

Plymouth Pilots is a small UK business based in Plymouth, Devon. We design and build the Plymouth Pilot range of displacement hull diesel inboard vessels (the P16, P18 and P24), sell them new, operate a brokerage service for used Plymouth Pilot boats, and sell parts, accessories and merchandise through our website.

Our registered address is:

Plymouth Pilots, Unit 2, Wixenford, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 8AA

Email: office@plymouthpilots.co.uk

Plymouth Pilots is the data controller for the personal information we collect. This means we decide how and why your data is used, and we are responsible for keeping it safe.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains:

what personal data we collect about you
why we collect it and what we use it for
how long we keep it
who we share it with
your rights under UK data protection law

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

3. What data we collect and why

3.1 Website enquiry forms

When you use a contact or enquiry form on our website we collect your name, email address, telephone number and the content of your message. We use this to respond to your enquiry. Our lawful basis is legitimate interests — it is in both our and your interests to be able to communicate about the products and services you have asked about. We do not use enquiry form submissions for marketing without your separate consent.

3.2 Brokerage listing form

If you ask us to list your boat on our brokerage platform we collect your name, address, telephone number, email address and details about your vessel (model, year, specification, price and photographs). We use this information to create and manage your brokerage listing. Our lawful basis is contract — processing is necessary to provide the brokerage service you have requested. Please note that Plymouth Pilots acts as agent for the seller only; we do not handle or hold purchase funds.

3.3 Sale and purchase process

When you buy a new boat from us, or where we are involved in a used-boat sale, we collect the name and address of the buyer and seller, payment details necessary to complete the transaction (such as bank sort code and account number for BACS payments), and details about the vessel being sold. Our lawful basis is contract — processing is necessary to enter into and perform the sale agreement. We retain transaction records to comply with our legal obligations (e.g. accounting and tax law).

3.4 Email marketing

If you tick the relevant opt-in box (or otherwise give us clear consent), we will send you emails about our boats, products, events and news. Our lawful basis for this processing is consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us at office@plymouthpilots.co.uk. Withdrawing your consent does not affect anything we did before you withdrew it.

3.5 Parts, accessories and merchandise orders

When you place an order through our website we collect your name, delivery address, email address, telephone number and payment information. Payment card data is processed directly by our payment provider (see section 6) and is not stored by us. Our lawful basis is contract.

3.6 Website cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device. We use:

Essential cookies: necessary for the website to work (e.g. remembering items in your basket). These do not require your consent.
Analytics cookies: we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site (e.g. pages visited, time on site). These cookies collect data in an anonymised or pseudonymised form. We will ask for your consent before placing analytics cookies.
Marketing / preference cookies: if we use any third-party tools that place cookies for marketing or personalisation, we will tell you and ask for your consent first.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie banner on our website or through your browser settings. Refusing non-essential cookies will not stop you using our website.

4. How long we keep your data

We keep your data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are:

Enquiry form data: 2 years from last contact, unless a sale results.
Brokerage listing data: for the duration of the listing and 3 years after the listing closes or a sale completes.
Sale and purchase records: 7 years from the date of the transaction (to comply with HMRC requirements).
Email marketing data: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, after which we retain only a suppression record to ensure we do not contact you again.
Website analytics data: as configured in Google Analytics (typically 26 months).

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place:

Bigin CRM (Zoho): we use Bigin, part of the Zoho suite, as our customer relationship management system. Data stored there is subject to Zoho’s data processing agreement. Zoho is certified under the UK–US Data Bridge and relevant adequacy or transfer mechanisms.
Payment processor: we use a third-party payment gateway to process card payments for parts and merchandise. They act as a data processor on our behalf.
Email platform: if we use a third-party email marketing tool to send newsletters, it will process subscriber data on our behalf under a data processing agreement.
Website hosting / analytics: our website host and Google Analytics may process data about your visit.
Legal and professional advisers: we may share data with our accountants, lawyers or other advisers where necessary.
Authorities: we will disclose data where required to do so by law, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Plymouth Pilots, our customers or others.

Where we transfer data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, adequacy decisions or the UK–US Data Bridge).

6. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the following rights:

Right of access: you can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: you can ask us to correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’): you can ask us to delete your data where there is no longer a lawful reason to keep it.
Right to restrict processing: you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability: where we process your data by automated means on the basis of your consent or a contract, you can ask for a machine-readable copy.
Right to object: you can object to processing based on legitimate interests, or to direct marketing at any time.
Rights related to automated decision-making: we do not make solely automated decisions (including profiling) that have a legal or similarly significant effect on you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at office@plymouthpilots.co.uk. We will respond within one month. We may need to verify your identity before we can act on your request. There is no charge for exercising your rights unless a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

7. How we keep your data secure

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. These include password-protected systems, limiting access to personal data to those who need it, and using reputable third-party processors with appropriate security certifications. Where we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours and, where required, contact you directly.

8. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at office@plymouthpilots.co.uk and we will do our best to resolve it.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator:

Website: ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113

9. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. This policy does not apply to those sites. We recommend you read the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the ‘last updated’ date at the top. If we make a significant change that affects your rights or how we use your data, we will let you know by email or by a prominent notice on our website.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or the way we handle your personal data, please get in touch:

Plymouth Pilots

Unit 2, Wixenford, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 8AA