Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Traditional carvel plans and boatbuilding
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Newly built Blue Moon at Cem Gur’s boatyard in Turkey. As
usual, click on the images for an enlarged photograph
Fans of Thomas Gillmer’s Blue Moon design based on the traditional Falmouth quay punt will be pleased the boat is being built again, in Turkey. See the builder’s website at http://www.classicboats-turkiye.com .
For more on Thomas Gillmer’s Falmouth Quay punt-based design Blue Moon, click here.
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Clouds and light in the Swale towards evening. Click on
the images for larger photographs
We took a trip to Oare this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, as despite a less than wonderful weather forecast we had some near perfect sailing conditions, interesting light and cloud, and some good looking old boats. I can’t imagine a more powerful reminder of why we like to sail.
Julie’s shot of the Thames barge Mirosa. The object on Horse Sand
to the left is a beached yacht with someone on board – hopefully
they were there to clean its bottom rather than simply stuck.
I should add that a sizeable group of seals were basking on the
beach just 100 yards away from him. I wonder if he or they knew
about each other?
Julie’s photo of the (hopefully) careened yacht
How about this? Barge yachts are a rare sight nowadays,
but were popular in the 1920s and 30s. I’m sorry I couldn’t
get closer, but we were moored at the time. I’d love to hear
more about the boat – is she the one that Classic Boat
featured some years ago?
Thames sailing barge Will
Will and Mirosa moored in the Swale
On the way home we dropped into Lower Halstow to check
out a cruising destination and found a pleasant, out-of-the-way
sort of place, with some fine old buildings, an old quay
next to the church, and the barge Edith May in the process of being
restored. I don’t know who’s doing it, but good luck and
more power to their elbows!
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Nick Smith’s boatbuilding work at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show. If you
ring him, this is now the preferred telephone number: 0778 6693370
I’ve had another frantically busy week, so I’m afraid it’s taken me a little while to get these first photos from the Beale Park Thames Boat Show up.
In fact, I haven’t a huge amount to say about these photos of Nick Smith’s very nice work, so I’ll leave the pictures to tell their story.
Nick tells me that he builds these craft because he was brought up using similar craft, and that he learned his trade in a long-closed boatyard at Salcombe.
Apparently the historic old place is being developed for housing. In an expensive place like Salcombe, I guess that someone is about to make a killing even in these times, but Nick’s certainly less than happy about the loss of the old yard. I can remember the place he’s talking about, and rather agree with him.
I’d also like to thank Nick for his kindness in taking us under his wing at the show this year – he has a lot to share about traditional boats and boatbuilding and I’ve a lot to learn, so I’m looking forward to having the chance to listen to him again soon.
