Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Professional and amateur boat builders and restorers
Photo from the Wikimedia Commons
The folks of Les Amis du Biche, which has in recent years restored and relaunched the impressive old tunny fisherman, are working on a book project about her history – including her time in English ownership.
To that end, they are trying to contact ex-owner Graham ‘Dusty’ Miller, to learn things about the time during which he owned Biche. If you can help, buzz them an email at patrimoine@lebiche.com .
Read about Biche here.
Photos by Jenny Steer, Becky Josepth and Derek Thompson
The Boat Building Academy’s spring student launch at Lyme included this traditional clinker-built Thames skiff built by students Lawrence Shillingford and Brooke Ricketts.
Rosina May made a glamorous first public appearance, as she was decorated with gold balloons tied on by Lawrence’s friends.
Traditionally built in clinker mahogany on oak, 21ft Rosina May is based on a Hobb’s skiff as featured in the classic book Working Boats of Britain – Their Shape and Purpose by Eric McKee.
The design evolved from larger Thames Wherries which carried fare-paying passengers.
Lawrence spent a lot of his early years either on or beside the Thames. He now rows Cornish pilot gigs with Weymouth Gig Club. He wanted to combine rowing with a traditional Thames design, and says the skiff almost chose itself for the project.
Rosina May was modified to a single rowing position. It features moulded detailing typical of this type of boat and a decorative mahogany and oak sunburst design on the seat back and rudder.
Originally from Twickenham but now living in Bridport, Lawrence joined the course to learn new skills after a 30 year career in the London Fire Brigade.
From Maryland, Brooke worked for Inter-Rail Transport USA for 10 years before deciding to have a career change.
With a love of boats he started an apprenticeship at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and wanting to develop his skills further he relocated to Dorset with his family to join the Academy.
Since graduating, Brooke has returned to the museum to complete his apprenticeship and Lawrence is starting a small boat building and restoration business in the Bridport area.
Lawrence says the journey through the course from knowing virtually nothing to having completed this project, learning from mistakes along the way, has given him the confidence to take on new solo projects.
See the Thames skiff’s build diary here.
And sailing them (you may want to turn the sound on your computer down for the second one)…