Category: Techniques

Marcus Lewis makes progress with Mayflower dinghy to be shown at the Southampton Boat Show

Marcus Lewis Boat Builder Mayflower dinghy Marcus Lewis Boat Builder Mayflower dinghy

Marcus Lewis Boat Builder Mayflower dinghy Marcus Lewis Boat Builder Mayflower dinghy

Fowey, Cornwall boat builder Marcus Lewis has sent in some photos of his latest project, a 14ft Mayflower dinghy that he’s currently building to take to the Southampton Boat Show.

Mayflowers, which are gunter-rigged and have steel centreplates, were formerly made in Plymouth by Skentlebery’s. If this sounds like the boat you’re looking for, I’d contact him soon as it might well sell at the show!

Meanwhile, those who saw the last set of photos from Marcus may be pleased to know that the newest Fowey River dinghy, No 61, swept the board in its class with eight wins in eight races. We were told that the folks that commissioned the boat were experienced racers, but Marcus will have every reason to be delighted with such success.

PS On the 4th September local small boat sailors have organised their two-yearly Try a Troy Day. Everyone’s invited to turn up to the Fowey Gallants Sailing Club between 10.30 and 2.30 to be taken out for a sail in a Troy, completely free – donations to junior sailing at the club will be accepted however! Marcus says that they usually get 100-120 people turning up, and that it’s a really great day, weather permitting!

Try a Troy at the Fowey Gallants Sailing Club poster

Working in the open air, Ben Wales makes progress in restoring the Royal Lymington Yacht Club motor launch Mary

 

Starboard bow 08a

Brave Ben Wales has written in with an update of his ambitious restoration of an 18ft motor launch named Mary. (See earlier posts about Ben’s project here and here.)

‘At the start of June we had began to replace the topside planking in khaya mahogany. I had found it difficult to locate any suitable boards of the width we required to cut out new 20ft planks and also they would need to be planed all round off-site, as there is no power available to us on site.

‘The old planks were carefully cut out using a hack saw, and to release them, the copper nails along the plank lands and  some nail heads were drilled out.

‘Most of the old planks were either fragile or just rotten, so did not make an ideal template to mark out the new planks. What’s more, due to the widths and lengths needed we decided to scarf in three new planks on each plank run. The scarf joint is glued and nailed.

‘Painting will hide the scarf joints – Mary was never finished in varnish – and the only clue will be the extra nails, so while scarfing isn’t usually employed on a new boat of this size, it has saved us a great deal of material and money, and left very little waste.

‘I have attached some recent pictures of the work we have done. The starboard side is nearly complete and soon we have some more timber arriving to complete the port side. After that, the next stage to re-timber the launch, more of that to follow later this year.

‘Regards, Ben’

Thanks Ben – and great good luck. I hope the weather’s good when you get your next batch of timber.

BBC TV programme about the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project is on the iPlayer now – catch it if you can

BBC Alba TV programme Scottish Coastal Rowing

The BBC Alba TV channel has made a programme about the amazing Scottish Coastal Rowing, in which communities build St Ayles skiffs designed by Iain Oughtred to kits supplied by Alec Jordan, and race them in a series of regattas and events across Scotland and beyond.

My thanks to Osbert Lancaster for the tip – see his weblog Forthsailor.

The growth of the new style of rowing over the past two years has been a phenomenon, with more than 40 of the boats built.

The programme’s available on the BBC iPlayer for the next few days. Catch it if you can!

For many more intheboatshed.net posts about Scottish Coastal Rowing, click here.