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The Society for Nautical Research was founded in London in 1910 to foster the study of ships and seafaring throughout all ages and in all seas.
In 1921 the SNR launched the Save the Victory Fund which raised funds to provide a permanent berth for HMS Victory in the Portsmouth dockyard.
Among the many projects funded by the Society is the buying of timber and rigging for the preservation and restoration of HMS Victory (1805) at Portsmouth as well as Paintings and other works of art for the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.
HMS Victory had in 1805 a small boat complement as follows:
The two Cutters were slung from Davits on the quarters for ease of launching and recovery. The remainder being stowed on the main deck.
The SNR decided that two twenty five-foot cutters should be built to the original 1805 drawings and donated to HMS Victory to complete her complement of small boats. This was done with monies from the Save the Victory Fund in memory of Lt Cdr. Peter Whitlock a former Commanding Officer of HMS Victory, and the Royal Navy's last commissioned Bo 'sun; on retirement he became the Treasurer of the SNR until his death in 1989.
When tenders for the Cutters went out, David Page pointed out that a traditional clinker built Cutter would not be suitable for the odd launch into water for ceremonial occasions, as it would need time to take-up and become watertight. He suggested that the second Cutter should be built to the original lines using modern plywood and bonding agents, which could be launched and recovered with minimal maintenance.
The SNR then decided that Chippendale Craft should build the second twenty five-foot Cutter with the modern materials in order to have a working replica for research and demonstration in Sailing and pulling techniques. This is HMS Victory's 1805 Working Cutter with which we have worked at many maritime events within the UK and Europe since it was launched for the first time in 1993.
Crews of the Ships Cutters were uniformed smartly, funded by the Captain in order to impress, and the original Cutters would have been used to ferry Officers, dispatches, and supplies, ship to ship as well as from ship to shore.
The Number One Rig worn by the present Cutter Crew is authentic for the period.
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