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Pilot

Keen sailor Libby Purves meets the men and women who guide big ships safely home to port, whatever the weather. From 2008.

Even in the Internet age, there's still a huge romantic buzz about a great ship.

And as she manoeuvres her vast bulk round the buoys and bars of our great ports, both the sleek liner and the towering container vessel will usually draw a crowd.

Keen sailor Libby Purves takes to the water to tell a little-known story.

She meets the ships' pilots - the men and women whose job it is to guide these big ships safely home in the best and the worst of weathers....and out to sea again...

Producer: Simon Elmes

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2008.

30 minutes

On radio

Friday 10:30
BBC Radio 4 Extra

Broadcasts

  • Mon 7 Jan 2008 11:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Thu 18 Dec 2008 15:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Thu 13 Nov 2014 06:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 13 Nov 2014 13:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 13 Nov 2014 20:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Fri 14 Nov 2014 02:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 8 Jun 2017 06:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 8 Jun 2017 13:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 8 Jun 2017 20:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Fri 9 Jun 2017 01:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Fri 10 Sep 2021 14:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sat 11 Sep 2021 02:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Friday 10:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Friday 16:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Saturday 00:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra