A speeded-up video showing how a craftsman builds a beautiful dinghy from just two moulds. It seems rather like a kind of magic…
Thanks to reader Tom Edom for the link!
Building a clinker dinghy
Category: Boating, boats, ships and the sea
Sam Larner and his community
I’ve been interested in the life and songs of Winterton fisherman Sam Larner for a great many years, so was very pleased to come across this weblog about old Sam and his community, and which describes so clearly how singing and step dancing were an important and respected aspect of life.
Sam was an outstanding singer and raconteur, as these YouTubes show: Sweet Lives and Lawless Billows and Two Norfolk Singers: Sam Larner and Harry Cox.
It’s longish (for weblog) but interesting and informative, and strongly recommended if you have any interest in the old times.
There must have been great times in Winterton’s pubs, for almost more than any other activities, singing and dancing together generally strengthen a commonity’s sense of belonging.
It seems clear too that there were quite a few other singers of note in the area, and it is perhaps a shame that recordings of them are not currently available as far as it can tell. Certainly, I have been able to hear them so far.
For more on Sam Larner on this weblog, click here, and for another article on this topic, click here.
HJ Mears restores a 1920s river launch
Ales Mears of Axmouth boat builders HJ Mears & Son has written to tell us about a recent job, that he has clearly greatly enjoyed.
Gavin:
We’ve had lots of work since we last spoke and many boats have been through our barn doors, but I thought this recent restoration may be of particular interest to you and your readers.
She is an 18ft LOA river launch, double-diagonal spruce construction with laid mahogany decks. She is believed to have been built in the 1920’s.
Her beautiful shape evident for all to see despite her poor condition.
She’s now had the thorough Mears Boatyard treatment. She needed lots of extra strength added due to her lack of ribs and longitudinals. It would’ve been quicker to build from scratch but we were faithful to her and her original builder and reused as much of her original timberwork as feasible during her restoration.
Her original means of propulsion isn’t known but she is now 100 per cent electric and a joy to use; peaceful, powerful, smooth, simple and very responsive. I think o0f her as a a 1920’s Tesla of the Waterways!
Her owner is chuffed and looking forward to showing her off on the Thames soon. Hopefully your readers will enjoy the photos and seeing the 21st century Mears treatment being faithfully applied to something from the early twentieth century!
Merry Christmas, Alex
Thanks Alex. I think she’ll be something a little different and will surely cut a fine dash along the river this summer!