Tom Cunliffe‘s television series The Boats That Built Britain will start tonight on BBC4.

The six-part series will run over three consecutive weeks every Tuesday and Wednesday, with Yachting Monthly writer Tom presenting episodes on some of the classic vessels built in Britain.

Tom will sail on board;

• A replica of John Cabot’s ship – The Matthew;
• A huge, lug-rigged fishing boat – The Reaper;
• Higgins WWII landing craft;
• A brig – The Phoenix;
• A replica of the schooner that brought news of Nelson’s victory and death at Trafalgar – The Pickle;
• Two classic pre-WWI pilot cutters – Olga – described by Tom in his column as “the loveliest cutter of them all” – and Cariad.

The first show airs at 8.30pm about The Matthew, which first sailed to America in 1497, with a show on Wednesday on The Pickle.

See YM May for Tom’s column on the series, which is part of the channel’s Sea Fever seaon.