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
I don’t know who’s behind this weblog so I can’t exactly endorse it – but it is very interesting and whoever is doing it, they seem to share some of my own concerns. What’s more I’m sure the aim of getting locals talking about the Creek’s future must be right.
If you’re interested in Faversham’s history and future, and particularly in its Creek, take a look and see what you think. My thanks to Richard Fleury for finding this one.
The 20th annual Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival will take place at Portsoy on the 22nd and 23rd June.
Amazingly, crowds in excess of 16,000 are expected – which is quite a thought for those who think traditional boats are a minority interest.
Traditional wooden boats from all over the UK and beyond will congregate in the historic 17th century Portsoy harbour. Visitors can learn how to paddle a coracle, hop aboard restored fishing vessels, and see the crews of the St Ayles Skiffs rowing regatta race on the open seas.
The music programme will once again feature the very best of traditional music. Popular Scottish folk singer and former presenter of BBC’s Travelling Folk, Archie Fisher, will headline the Friday Showcase Concert on the eve of the Festival – supported by the internationally celebrated shanty band Kimbers Men, and local group The Lennox Family.
Festival-goers should watch out for the opportunity to learn a shanty or two and perform a ‘maritime work song’ on stage on the Sunday.
For more information about the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival and to buy tickets visit www.stbfportsoy.com.
Photos by Emma Brice and Rebecca Joseph
Boat Building Academy students Kyle Paternoster and Rob Hounslow made a traditionally-built clinker pram dinghy to plans by Iain Oughtred and sailed it for the first time on their course’s student launch day.
The 7ft 9in dinghy made to Oughtred’s Humble Bee design is planked in sweet chestnut with a Dorset-grown oak centreline and fore and aft transoms, and green oak ribs.
Her name, Rubee, is a play on words based on Kyle’s grandmother’s name, Ruby, and Humble Bee. The red sails were made by students on a weekend sail-making workshop at the academy run by Jeremy White, managing director of Elvstrom Sails.
Kyle started work as an engineer on one of the biggest yachts in the world the week after leaving the Academy – the role is based on three-month rotations, and will allow Kyle to work as a boat builder in the months he is at home, building and selling his own boats.
He’s a qualified dinghy instructor and in his spare time plans to teach members of his family to sail in Rubee.
Rob, who worked with Kyle on the build, grew up around water on his father’s fish farm on the River Kennet. Rob had done almost every job there is around a fish farm, including making jetties and bridges and working with green oak, but he wanted to master a craft and so decided to join the Academy to learn boat building.
Rob will be using his newly acquired skills at Cockwells Modern and Classic Building at Falmouth, where he will be working alongside fellow BBA graduate Jack Livesey, who graduated in June 2012.
The BBA website has a photographic diary of Rubee’s construction.