A painting commemorating the end of the Trinity House era. The Trinity House Channel pilots who worked from Gravesend to the sea commissioned this painting from the artist in 1989. The painting shows early morning or evening with the 'Pathfinder' pilot cutter leaving a cargo liner at the ‘Sunk’ lightship off Harwich. This is the northern limit of the London pilots district for Baltic and Northern European ports north of Rotterdam. The cargo ship is not specific but generic and is of the period circa 1955-75. She is flying the ‘H’ flag to signify that she has a pilot on board. The pilots acted to conduct ships from Gravesend to down the River Thames through the south channels to Dungeness and vice versa. They also went from Gravesend down the River Thames through the north channels, as here, to the ‘Sunk’ Light vessel stationed 14 miles from Harwich. The Pilot cutter would cruise the vicinity generally a mile or two to the SW, serving ships bound to and from the Thames. The cutter was withdrawn on 1 June 1987 and replaced by a fast launch running into Harwich.

As an experienced local marine artist Trevett was commissioned by the pilots to produce this painting. A print after the scene was presented to every Channel pilot at their final retirement at Gravesend and the pilots also donated the actual painting to the collection.

The painting has been signed ‘Vic Trevett’.