The Marguerite was a type of boat called a pilot cutter, a fast, rugged sailing vessel that was easy to manoeuvre. Many Bristol Channel pilots came from Pill where piloting as a family tradition. They developed their own version of the pilot cutter to enable them to race for piloting jobs on board newly arrived ships. The boats were also raced in competitions and this painting commemorates the Marguerite winning races at sea from 1894 to 1908.