Category: wooden boat

The Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival

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Boatbuilder Tiernan Roe of Ballydehob  in the South-Western corner of Eire sent in these photos of the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival, which took place last weekend.

Here’s what he says about the photos:

‘The grey rowing boat is a gandelow from the Shannon estuary region of Ireland, and was built by the AK Ilen Boat Building School.

‘The pretty little lug-sailed boat is a François Vivier-designed Ilur built by Tim Cooke at the fishing village of Union Hall. Well worth having a look at his tumblr he’s really putting in a lot of work into a very nice boat. [And also some more photos of the Baltimore Festival – ed.]

‘I had one of the boats I built for the Game of Thrones TV series on display, which was a bit of fun. The two boats are back in the workshop for a bit of work before they are sent off to exotic locations for filming, now if I can only swing that I have to go too. Ideas on a postcard please… The photos of the Game of Thrones boat were taken by Helen Sloan/HBO.

‘I’m also building another two faerings at the moment and the micro cruiser I have been working on for the last few months is nearing completion – or at least the list of things to do is getting longer so I guess it must be close to a launch.

‘Hope all is well with you and keep up the good work with intheboatshed.

‘Tiernan’

Thanks Tiernan!

Click on the thumbnails below for larger photographs.

Tiernan Roe boat built for the Game of Thrones series
Tiernan Roe boat built for the Game of Thrones series
Gandelow built by AK Ilen Wooden Boatbuilding School
Gandelow built by AK Ilen Wooden Boatbuilding School
Gandelow built by AK Ilen Wooden Boatbuilding School
Francois Vivier Ilur built by Tim Cooke
A currach – just where it should be on the West Coast of Ireland

Victorian racing yacht Germaine relaunched after many years at the IBTC

Germaine relaunched 1

 

Germaine relaunched 2 Germaine relaunched 3 Germaine relaunched 4

The 1882 Nicholson racing yacht Germaine has been relaunched following a long restoration at the International Boatbuilding Training Centre at Lowestoft.

Once she is fully rigged and has her new suit of sails she will sail to her new home in Brittany.

Germaine was designed by Ben Nicholson for a prominent racer, Mr FW Leybourne Popham.

After being photographed by Beken, she sailed to the Med in December 1882 and returned in the spring of 1883, passed to Mr Harvey A Dixon, who rigged her as a cutter. She was later made into a yawl again, and passed through further changes of ownership – later owners were Major Middleton Robinson and Mr HW Whittingham of Goodmayes, Essex. In the early 60s she was found on the banks of the Blackwater by Ann and Peter Christgau, who refloated and cleaned her, and sold her in the mid-1960s.

Eventually she returned to the Camper and Nicholson yard, where she was to be repaired ready for the yard’s bicentenary celebrations. Sadly the yard got into financial difficulties and the project had to be abandoned.

Germaine’s cause was then taken up by Patrick Bigand, who acquired her and transported her to the IBTC in 1997 for restoration.

The restoration took quite some time, and I gather that she leaves quite a space in the College’s premises, having been there for two decades, but it must be wonderful for the staff and students to see her back on the water.

PS – Donan Raven points out that there’s some good material about Germaine here – and that it includes a set of lines, two Beken photos and some shots of the IBTC restoration. Thanks Donan!

Shipwrighting apprenticeships at Faversham Creek start in August – apply now

Mayhi at the Faversham Creek Trust's Purifier Building Faversham photo by Richard Fleury

The Faversham Creek Trust’s apprentice scheme for training young shipwrights is to begin in August, when two apprentices will begin their 18 months of intensive training at the Trust’s Purifier Building.

The scheme is part of the FCT’s  aim of regenerating Faversham Creek as a working waterway, and is expected to be expanded in future years.

Read about the scheme here.

The apprentices will begin by working on the 1908 Kent-built wooden yacht Mayhi, photographed above at the Purifier Building by Richard Fleury. Later in their training, they will experience commercial repair and restoration of larger vessels moored downstream.

The teaching programme will be contracted to a company formed by Brian Pain, managed by master shipwright Simon Grillett, and accredited by Rochester College.

PS – Readers may also be interested to know that the well known comedian, presenter  and TV producer Griff Rhys Jones recently visited the FCT during a tour of Kent’s civic society’s as part of his role as the president of Civic Voice. I gather he showed a good knowledge of the issues facing campaigners seeking to protect Faversham’s buildings and to ensure the Creek once again becomes a working waterway. So the word is getting round…