http://www.cruz-diez.com/news/news-archive/news-2014/dazzle-ship-commission-for-liverpool-biennial.html

The Edmund Gardner was built in Dartmouth by Philip and Sons Ltd, who also built ferries and lightships for the Mersey. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, who were responsible as the Liverpool Pilotage Authority, had her built as the second of a new generation of large diesel-electric powered cutters to replace the pre-war steam cutters. The Edmund Gardner and her two sister ships were all designed by naval architects Graham and Woolnough of Liverpool. Following tradition, all three were named after chairmen of the Board, the other two were the Sir Thomas Brocklebank (No 1) and Arnet Robinson (No 3).
The work of the pilot ships
The role of the pilot vessels was to guide the steady stream of ships entering and leaving the Mersey. The cutters worked a rota of one week on station at the Mersey bar, one week on the outer station off Point Lynas, Anglesey and one week either serving as a supply boat and tender to the boats on station, or under maintenance in the docks.
Wooden motor boarding punts, manned by the apprentices, were used to ferry the pilots from the cutter to the ship requiring their services on the inward journey, then back to the cutter again once the visiting ship had left port. If extreme weather made it impossible for the pilot to board a ship from the punt then the cutter herself would lead ships across the Mersey bar.