Modern boatbuilding – Page 33

Beale Park Boat Show this weekend

Beale Park Boat Show 2

The Beale Park Boat Show runs from this Friday to Sunday (7th – 9th June, 2013) at Lower Basildon in Berkshire.

The organisers say that this year’s event is looking good – exhibitor bookings are strong, there new attractions and visitor numbers are expected to be increased as children are now admitted free when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

The show is well known for its traditionally built craft, the Watercraft magazine competition for amateur boatbuilders and its race small boats powered by various cordless tools. There are also displays and demonstrations, free boat trips (subject to availability), and a ‘try a boat’ scheme operated by exhibitors and children’s activities.

The Historical Maritime Society will this year take to the show’s seven acre lake in a 23ft full-size replica of a frigate’s launch to perform evolutions under oars and sail.

On dry land, the re-enactors will return to their marquee to explain aspects of life at sea for the officers and men, and for the ladies at home; who will also be present at the show telling historical tales of what life was like back then.Visitors will have the chance to learn how crews were fed, what they drank, how ship to ship signalling worked and much more.

The Society also plans to show a WWII four-man commando canoe.

I hoping to make it along on the Friday – if I make it, I will certainly call on Lodestar Books publishers of new and neglected nautical writing, the Boat Building Academy, and the International Boatbuilding Training College.

Damien O’Grady reports on sailing Murray Isles Aurette dinghy

Australian Damien O’Grady has sent us this photo and a short report of his experience of sailing Murray Isles’ Aurette small Auray punt design.

Auray punt fans may remember he wrote a short report of his experience of building the boat a while ago. The plans are included in my book published by International Marine, Ultrasimple Boatbuilding.

See the photos and what Damien had to say in his earlier post here.

This is what he says now he has rigged the boat as specified in Murray’s plans. I’d say it sounds just right for a dinghy of this size:

‘Hi Gavin

‘I finally made the mast and yard from what is here called white beech [it’s called hornbeam here – ed], which I soaked with Sikkens Cetol HLS. I put two canvas collars around the mast – one at the point where it passes through the foredeck, and one where the yard rubs up against it – I stitched these on using heavy duty thread, criss-crossed as you would put laces on your boots. The halyard passes through a simple “dumb sheave”, just as is suggested in your book, which I made by drilling a 12mm hole and working it with a D-section file.

‘You can see most of the arrangement in the attached photo, in which my son is hoisting the yard for the first time. The tack has a line that attaches first to the mast, and then to the little bulkhead just behind the foredeck – this serves to hold the mast in place in case you capsize. I shaped the spars just as shown in your book. I reinforced the foredeck aperture with glass tape.

‘She needs plenty of wind to really get going, but she can handle pretty much anything you throw at her. I’ve had her with that much wind that the bow is almost buried under the bow wave, and you have to shift your weight aft to compensate. Very forgiving for kids to begin sailing in. As an adult, if you capsize, it won’t be because of the wind – it’s more likely to be bad balance on your part.

‘That’s it – I’m very fond of her – my son has been seduced by the speed and glamour of the RS Feva, so now he only takes out the little Aurette to humour me, but that’s fine. I’m thinking next of making a light boom for her, to keep better sail shape.

‘Cheers!

‘Damien’

PS – Damien has sent over some additional measurment information for the rudder not included in the published plans. See them here: rudder_extras

Blakeney folks build the UK’s southern-most St Ayles skiff

Photos by Ian Duffill

A rowing club set up under the aegis of Blakeney Sailing Club is well on the way to completing the UK’s most southerly St Ayles rowing skiff for racing under oars. Read about the smart-looking build here.

The Scottish Coastal Rowing movement imagined and then realised by kit manufacturer and boat builder Alec Jordan and Iain Oughtred, who designed the seaworthy four-oared plus cox, fixed-seat boat St Ayles skiff, continues to amaze with its success. For one thing, it has been remarkably popular – the number of kits sold for these good-sized community-built racing skiffs this month topped 100.

We’ve seen these boats built in other countries – there are now St Ayles skiff kit suppliers in the Netherlands, the Antipodes, and North America – but there’s something a bit special and unexpected about the movement extending itself to Norfolk.

The story of how it happened begins in 2012, when Dr Victoria Holliday, an avid and competitive sculler persuaded Blakeney Sailing Club to run an early morning race for a collection of sculling boats kept in the club’s boat park. It was evidently a success – more races were held, and, encouraged by the club led by Commodore Joe Carr, CraBlakeney (Coastal Rowing Association Blakeney) has been formed under the sailing club’s umbrella.

The question of what the local coastal rowing history and traditions of North Norfolk, but few answers were forthcoming, and the idea of building a St Ayles skiff and taking part in the Scottish Coastal Rowing movement came to the fore.

Dinghy sailor and would-be rower Ian Duffill joined forces with Victoria Holliday to sponsor a kit from Alec Jordan, and this has taken shape over the past five months in Ian’s workshop, where an enthusiastic group of 20 or so volunteers, mainly drawn from the sailing club are aiming to launch the boat on the 25th May, to exhibit her at the Beale Park Boat Show near Reading in June, and to take part in the Skiff World Championships at Ullapool in July.

The skiff has been named Hoi Larntan, a Norfolk dialect phrase used by seafarers to indicate a boat or skipper of superior quality. It’s also an example of the local taste for punning names – it also means ‘high lantern’ or ‘high learned one’.

After the skiffies’ world championship at Ullapool she will back at at Blakeney to be used for exercise and recreation.

Photos by Ian Ruston

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