Category: Traditional carvel

Traditional carvel plans and boatbuilding

Matthew Atkin photographs the boats of Hong Kong

Boats of Hong Kong  Boats of Hong Kong

 Boats of Hong Kong  Boats of Hong Kong

Boats of Hong Kong  Boats of Hong Kong  Boats of Hong Kong

Boats of Hong Kong  Boats of Hong Kong Boats of Hong Kong

My photography enthusiast brother Matthew Atkin has been excelling himself lately – so here’s a new batch of his excellent shots of boats, this time from around Hong Kong.

It’s an amazing place. I have difficulty getting my head around the contrast between the anarchic and often ramshackle air of the fishing boats, traders and sampans on one hand, and the mind-numbing uniformity of the high rise blocks – to me it’s as if there are two completely different cultures, or even countries here. Thanks Matt!

Boats of Hong Kong Boats of Hong Kong

 

Matt Atkin’s photographs of the long-tailed working boats of Phuket, Thailand

Matt Atkin photograph of the boats of Phuket for intheboatshed.net

Matt Atkin photograph of the boats of Phuket for intheboatshed.net Matt Atkin photograph of the boats of Phuket for intheboatshed.net

Brother Matt Atkin has been on his travels again, this time to Thailand, and sent back this small collection of elegant long-tailed working boats on the island of Phuket.

Reua hang yao, as they are properly called, are powered by a road vehicle engine balanced over the stern; I’m curious that they appear to be overpowered with those big engines married to efficient displacement hulls. Still, those Thais will know what they are doing after using these craft for generations.

The bows of the boats are decorated with coloured scarves and other items that are believed to provide good luck and protection.

Thanks for the shots Matt! For more photos from my brother Matt, click here and follow the link to ‘older posts’.

Sailing barge film Red Sails free public screening at Faversham

Red Sails A4 free screening poster

Red Sails is a new Michael Maloney film that uses interviews and archive footage to explore the history and influence of the Thames sailing barge.

There’s a website to read here, and the film is to be launched to the public with a free public screening at the Royal Cinema, Faversham on the 7th December at 1pm.

Over generations, sailing barges had a huge influence on the development of London and towns, villages and rivers nearby and along the Thames Estuary and beyond, and this film looks at the craftsmen who built these amazing boats, their skippers, and the boys and men who crewed them.

For those of us who can’t make it (like me – I really should be working for a living that day!) there’s a page of links to preview Youtube clips here.