Category: Traditional carvel

Traditional carvel plans and boatbuilding

OGA 50th anniversary round Britain trip group divides at the Caledonian Canal

Cine Mara and Bonify in Kames Bay. Pic Ben Collins Greensleeves, Witch and Capraia in Cuan Sound - Pic Ben Collins

Photos by Ben Collins of the OGA

The Old Gaffers Association folks are continuing their 50th anniversary circumnavigation, but has effectively divided in two, with over a dozen boats are in the West of Scotland enjoying the scenery and planning to enter the Caledonian Canal later this week, while a smaller fleet including the North Kent-based local favourite, the 100-year old Morecambe Bay prawner Bonita, a collection of Scottish OGA boats including Tantina II and Naiad, and the Dutch boat Windbreker, are heading round the top.

Bonita will go to Orkney whilst the rest hope to get to Shetland, before all joining up at the next big gathering in Newcastle on July 5th to 7th.

More details of the Newcastle event can be found on the oga50.org website on the OGA Area events pages.

The site has a map showing where all the boats are, and links to individual boat blogs.

Canoe sailing in Sydney Harbour, 1895

Prince Alfred Yacht Club Regatta

A fabulous shot from 1895! For more from the Australian National Maritime Museum, click here. My thanks to Dale Appleton for spotting this one – and for saving my blushes at various times.

Dale (see his comment below) tells me that you can read about this race for sailing canoes on the ANMM website.

Thames Heritage Alliance formed to campaign to protect historic sites

Thames Heritage Alliance

The Thames Heritage Alliance is a new organisation that hopes to become the voice for those concerned to protect and promote the heritage and of the Thames – including its historic maritime sites, boatyards and so on.

It’s still a tiny acorn – but from tiny acorns might oaks frequently grow, and I hope this one  does exactly that.

It’s sorely needed. As we have seen at Faversham, Brightlingsea and elsewhere, the heritage of The Thames is under threat as never before from commercial and residential development and anything messy and noisy – such as working boatyards – being driven out, not least because they can’t compete when waterside property values are sky-high.

The Alliance says that the Thames’s historic boatyards, slipways, quays, wharves and docks were a crucial part of Britain’s remarkable maritime history. From the time of the Tudors – especially King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth – right through to Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill – sailors and boat-builders along the great River Thames have contributed so much to our national defence and pride.

By linking some of these rare and historic places together, the Thames Heritage Alliance hopes to drawing attention to their importance, and to help them survive in the age of high-rise and high-price property development.

The Alliance’s founding members are working to protect Faversham Creek, Convoy’s Wharf at Deptford and the historic waterfront at Northfleet.