Photos by Andy Blundy, Derek Thompson and Rebecca Joseph
Boat Building Academy student Tim Talo’s 14ft Joel White-designed peapod hit the water on launch day to cheers, as Tim and his friend were piggy-backed on board by rowing gig builder Gail McGarva and instructor Will Reed.
Jesta is a double-ended row and sail boat made using the strip plank technique in Western red cedar, and sheathed in glass and epoxy, with a sapele centerline and Sitka spruce mast and spars.
Photography student Tim first learned about the Academy two years ago at the Art in Action exhibition held in Oxford – while he was not particularly interested in boats, he decided that the 38-week boat building course would enable him to achieve his dream of working with wood.
Now equipped with the skills and a new found love of boats, Tim is exploring careers in both the woodworking and marine industries, and plans to row Jesta along the Great Ouse river near his Bedfordshire home.
Geoff Foulkes worked alongside Tim on Jesta’s build. After completing a masters degree in civil engineering Geoff wanted to pursue a more practical career and develop his existing woodworking skills. During the course he also built a tool box, and designed and built a Victorian sweet cart for a friend’s wedding.
For the photographic diary of the boat’s build see the BBA website.