Matt Stiles’ stunning Joel White rowing wherry

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Instructor Justin and dog Worthington guiding young Matt on his first time in
a narrow, round-bottomed rower. I don’t think he’s talking about a fish, but
about balance in a naturally tippy boat

Yvonne Green, principal of the Boat Building Academy at Lyme Regis (see earlier posts) has promised to send us material about the student boats launched a few days ago. The first comes from Matt Stiles:

‘Matt from Buckinghamshire was the youngest student on the March course. He is a qualified RYA Dinghy Instructor and is pursuing his love for sailing and woodwork.

‘He built a 20ft Joel White Bangor Packet rowing wherry, cold moulded with 1.5mm sapele veneers (two layers diagonal, final layer fore-and-aft) spiled to simulate carvel planking and finished bright throughout.

‘Matt confessed shortly before the launch that he’d never rowed, so academy instructor and Atlantic rower Justin Adkin gave him a crash course in what not to do and advised a dry suit. Matt, happily, didn’t capsize and the wherry looked fantastic.

‘Gav, Happy Christmas. It’s a pleasure dealing with you, and we love the site. Here’s to many more communications in 2009.

Many thanks for the photos of this terrific piece of work by Matt. Here’s to a great Christmas despite all the gloom, and here’s to many more many more projects from Lyme!

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Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 3

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‘At last we felt ourselves to be a happy ship. So happy that the spare parts (apprentices) formed a Foofoo band. A keg with the ends knocked out, and a stout canvas substituted – the drum! A skilly tin or skid with two large spoons – a kettle drum! A mouth organ; a patched incomprehensible concertina; a formidable overwhelming voice pertaining to the archangel (our youngest apprentice). Also another instrument, the eldest apprentice – who played the comb very eloquently.’

Three more chapters from Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey today: mutiny; a bully mate suffers revenge; a strange story of a Mexican skeleton; a cracking description of a Foofoo band; and the famous dead horse ceremony.

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Why not print them out to read at your convenience?

For the rest of this series of posts:
Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 1

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 2

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 3

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 4

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 5

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 6

Shanghaied out of Frisco in the Nineties by Hiram P Bailey – part 7


SS Robin restoration at Lowestoft

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SS Robin at Lowestoft, December 2008

Intheboatshed.net reader Robson Danton Green spotted the familiar form of the 1890 steam ship SS Robin at Lowestoft, where she’s undergoing a £2 million refit.

Read about her at the National Historic Ships Register and the SS Robin website, and see this earlier intheboatshed.net post: Oldest complete steamship SS Robin is demasted and towed away for restoration.

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Easy to build – get free plans for the 15ft 7in flat-bottomed Julie skiff! Click here.