Traditional steel Dutch dinghy and Forest & Stream skiff compared

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Dutch dinghy and steel-built Forest & Stream skiff

Over in Holland, Hans-Christian Rieck has taken these photos of a traditional steel-built Dutch dinghy of a type often used as tenders to steel-built barges and other craft. They’re strikingly curvaceous little boats, given that they’re made from plates of sheet steel, particularly when compared with the steel-built Forest & Stream skiff seen in the background.

The F&S skiff is being smoothed with filler prior to being painted and having its woodwork fitted. I will be fascinated to hear how this boat works – and I trust it does work well in steel, as it will presumably have a theoretical life time of 80 years or more. I’m pretty sure it will be fine, by the way – it’s clearly greatly scaled up from the 12ft ply dink I drew some ten years ago no, and that will no doubt compensate for the extra weight of the hull. I’d like to take a trip to see it once she’s in the water if that’s ok please Hans-Christian!

Hans-Christian’s workshop trains youngsters in the metalworking skills, and the steel dinghy belongs to the Graf Ship Association – it is destined to be cleaned and refinished.

Here are some earlier images of the F&S skiff, and of a ship, the Jantje ready to be transported to Nordhorn after being sandblasted and sprayed.

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The big day approaches for the St Ayles skiff

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The St Ayles skiff being built in Alec Jordan’s workshop receives a few coats of paint prior to its big day – launch day with the press, various notables in attendance and no doubt a good party.

My thanks to Chris Perkins who sent me the shots, though I gather they were originally taken byAlec. Nice chap that he is, Chris has promised to send me photos of her in the water when they’re available – I gather there may even be video.

Drawn by Iain Oughtred, the boat was designed for the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project, a scheme to encourage rowing racing for the people of Scotland. The boat in the photo is the first to be built, but I gather a boat kit for Ullapool’s rowers has already been ordered!

For more on this project, click here.

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Ben Crawshaw finds rowing a little tiring

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Those of you with a cruel streak will laugh this video of Ben Crawshaw’s, while others, like me, will squirm uncomfortably in sympathy at his predicament out at sea with no wind.

He has rowed some surprisingly big distances in his little Onawind Blue. Read all about Ben’s trip from mainland spain to Ibiza and the Columbrete Islands at his weblog The Invisible Workshop.

One thing this film does show is that while rowing is a good thing in principle, it is possible to have too much of it!

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