intheboatshed.net

Norfolk Broads boats racing, photo by Robert Henson, image from
the Wikipedia. This photo is from 2004, but could easily have been
taken fifty years ago. That’s part of the magic of The Broads

•Fifty years ago, schools on the Norfolk Broads were teaching kids to build boats.

•A lifeboat restoration at Walton, Essex is nearing completion. Read more here.

•A large wooden powerboat takes shape in a boatbuilding revival at Leigh, Essex.

Nick Smith’s boatbuilding work at the Beale Park
Thames Boat Show

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.

Sterns illustration from the Carvel Project

The Carvel Project

In 1999, the Hardanger Ship Preservation Center began a project to systematically review carvel boat building in Norway, including the history of the technique, its introduction and dispersion, variations within the technique, and technology. The Carvel Project does not cover all of the differing types of carvel-built vessels in Norway.In this document we have limited the discussion to vessels that have been least documented; working vessels between 35 and 100ft in length. Such vessels have often been built by smaller, family-owned boatyards. They are built with relatively simple tools, and designed by the master of the boatyard, using half-models or drawings.