The East End celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Town Cut over the weekend — an august occasion for St George’s that was marked with a cannon salute and boat parade through the waterway.

The sea lane servicing the Olde Towne was first cut through a tiny natural channel between the main island and Higgs Island, which Bermudians commemorated on the first day of 1917 with a procession of ships — beginning with the cargo ship SS Admiralen.

This weekend’s anniversary boat parade included the Spirit of Bermuda as well as pilot boats and gigs.

“It was very successful; we had an overwhelming response,” said Rick Spurling, head of the Bermuda Pilot Gig Club, who added that many descendants of legendary pilots and mariners turned out for a gala reception at the East End Mini Yacht Club.

“The daughter of the pilot Harry Fox, 84-year-old Diddles Fox, went on one of the gigs out to Spit buoy and paraded in,” Mr Spurling said. Also on hand were Brinky Tucker and Elaine Fox, the great-grandchildren of pilot James Griffiths who brought the Admiralen through 100 years ago.

“Town Cut was a substantial addition to the economy of St George’s. Ships were getting bigger, and this allowed freighters and ultimately passenger ships to come through.

“If we didn’t have that channel, we couldn’t do anything.

“But this was also a recognition of the contributions of the pilots to Bermuda over hundreds of years — and it continues to this day,” Mr Spurling added.

“Our economy could never have existed without ships being brought safely to port.”

The cannon was fired from Gates Fort on the shoreline as the vessels came through on Saturday.

Town Cut recently “split the community down the middle” over plans to widen the channel even further, to admit the bigger ships that over the past two decades have been unable to make it through.

“A lot of people didn’t want that to happen because of the exposure we would have to the open ocean,” Mr Spurling said.

“I give full credit to the Government, the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Norwegian Cruise Lines for finding smaller ships that will be coming in to St George’s this year.”

However, Kenneth Bascome, MP for St George’s North and former mayor of the Olde Towne, said East End residents could yet find a compromise on a larger Town Cut.

“It was a pleasure to watch,” Mr Bascome told The Royal Gazette.

“It has only put credence to what I proposed all along — adding modifications to the Town Cut channel.

“We don’t need massive ships. But I believe something that could carry 1,500 to 2,500 would benefit St George’s, with modifications that would not be devastating to the islands at Town Cut.”