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
Nahanni by Donald Wilder, National Film Board of Canada
‘This short film focuses on the legend of a lost gold mine and a river in the Northwest Territories that lured men to their doom. Albert Faille, an aging prospector, set out time and again to find hidden gold. His route took him through the wild and awesome land particularly suited to the mood of this Canadian odyssey.’
That portage!
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the Boat Building Academy have teamed up to run a series of short three- and five-day courses at the Falmouth museum’s premises.
The first weekend course, ‘Make a fender – decorative ropework and splicing’, with BBA visiting instructor Roy Gollop on 30 and 31 March will teach decorative ropework and splicing, and participants will make a fender to take away.
Roy began his marine career as an apprentice boat builder in 1946 before enlisting in the Royal Marines, where he was responsible first for landing craft operations before becoming senior instructor of seamanship.
He returned to Lyme Regis and managed the family fishing business for several years until he reopened his toolbox and began building clinker dinghies and working boats for local people.
BBA principal Yvonne Green says that running short courses at the NMMC gives the Academy the opportunity to offer short practical workshops outside the limited space available at its Lyme Regis premises.
More information is in the programme: BBA courses at the NMMC 2013.
Also new from the BBA is a timber supply and machining service that will also cut timber brought in by customers.
Timber generally in stock includes sapele (25mm, 32mm and 50mm), American white oak (25mm and 50mm), European oak (25mm, 32mm and 50mm), Western red cedar (25mm and 50mm), Douglas fir (25mm, 32mm and 50mm), Far Eastern ply (4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12mm and 18mm), Robbins Elite ply (6mm).
Machining of strip planking (with bead and cove) at 6mm and 9mm thickness is also available. Contact the BBA on 01297 445545 or email office@boatbuildingacademy.com.
The annual race is renamed for its 150th anniversary year in honour of Mark Boyle, who revived the event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in 1995.
Mark went on to be the match’s driving force and his sudden death just before Christmas at the age of 55 was a blow to the sailing barge community.
Read more at the Barge Blog.