intheboatshed.net

I’m officially on holiday, but here are some links to keep regular readers going!

Five Years in Siam From 1891 to 1896 by H Warington Smyth

Lowell’s Boat Shop, Amesbury, Massachusetts

A short but also long report from Brest 2008

Concern over ‘abandoned’ boat

Sunk Brits’ four-day raft storm hell

A History of Shipbuilding by Per Åkesson

Glimpses of Traditional Boatbuilding in Goa by Johan Roque

Elderly fella making very nice models

Whaleboat racing

Ripple on the Swale - click for computer wallpaper

Tonight, I’ve decided to share some relaxing views of the Swale - I spent today gardening and wishing I could have gone sailing. The first ‘Ripple of the Swale’ I offer as a computer screen wallpaper or background. The others are simply because they depict a favourite place…

Entrance to Oare Creek

Sunset over the Isle of Harty

Tom Naismith’s Laurent Giles-designed Sandppiper Surprise
won the Water Craft Awards at the Beale Park Thames Boat
Show this year. As usual, click on the photo for a
much larger image

Finally, we have the boat that won the Water Craft Boatbuilding Awards for this year - Tom Naismith’s striking Laurent Giles-designed Sandpiper, which he has named Surprise.

Although only 20ft on deck, she’s clearly a big boat for her length, and Tom reports that she took seven years and £20,000 to build.

Sanderling is the big sister to the smaller Sandpiper - and the even smaller but much better known Jolly Boat. I think Tom deserves a prize just for completing her, but I hope she now gets some serious use, as I’m sure she makes a comfortable little ship.

By the way, I notice that there’s an 18ft version for sale at Boats & Outboards, and there’s also a picture of one of these boats on the Classic Marine site.