| The distinctive pilot cutters
were used to take the pilots out to meet the large ships in order to bring
them safely into port. The copper-ore barques were heavy, bulky vessels
built for stamina not speed. Their crews were mainly Welsh, but tended to
be rural not urban men. The wages paid to those in industry were so high
that signing on was not an attractive proposition. However, for the men
from the Gower where there was never enough land or work to go around, the
prospect of the sea was appealing. It was said that Swansea’s Cape
Horners were amongst the sailing elite, it was seen as a character reference
for seamen. Sadly, more than two hundred ships have been wrecked around
the Gower Peninsula. Fortunately, Swansea has had a lifeboat since 1835
when it was kept in the River Tawe. Since 1866 the lifeboat has had close
associations with the village of Mumbles, with its geographical proximity
to the lethal Mixon sands. Smuggling has also been rife in the area, being
the chosen method of sea-going communities wanting to resist the high taxes
levied on basic goods, like tea. |
