Category: wooden boat

BBA student Francis Clarke builds a Bear Mountain Boats stripper canoe

Derek Thompson LRPS - Frank Clarke Chestnut Canoe - Boat Building Academy

Derek Thompson LRPS - Frank Clarke Chestnut Canoe Derek Thompson LRPS - Frank Clarke - Bob's Special - Chestnut Canoe Company Frank Clarke Bob's Special canoe - bow cramp method

Paul Dyer - Frank Clarke Canoe

Students on the long course at the Boat Building Academy often build a canoe or kayak rather than a boat, and that’s what Frank Clarke from Norfolk did this year, says regular BBA correspondent Emma Brice.

A professionally trained canoeist – but lacking a canoe – Frank chose to build a Bob’s Special – a 15ft open canoe from the Chestnut Canoe Company catalogue.

The canoe was modified for strip planking and drawn by Steve Killing who works with Bear Mountain Boats in the US. More information can be seen on the Bear Mountain Boats website.

Frank’s canoe is strip planked with Western red cedar and has oak rubbing strips, thwarts, decks and fittings.

Usually when building the hull the strips are held to the mould with staples until the glue cures, and then the staples are removed. However, Frank wanted to avoid the marks that the staples leave, and so he invented his own tool, which he named a ‘bow cramp’ for keeping the strips in place as the glue set. It worked a treat: click here to see the photographic diary of the build.

Frank says his project will always be a reminder of his time at Lyme Regis, as well as a demonstration of his craftsmanship.

Before the course Frank worked in various roles, from customer service to sales and taught English in China, gained qualifications in outdoor activities and completed a fine art degree in sculpture. However, he became seriously ill and was paralysed from the waist down for two years: on his recovering Frank joined the course in order to regain his career direction and re-energise his creativity.

Since graduating Frank has decided to become a teacher and hopes to pass on his skills and interest in woodworking and fine art.

The first photo of Frank’s bow cramp method was taken by BBA Administrator Gemma Stunt.

Ben Wales’ clinker launch restoration

Ben Wales working on 18ft clinker launch Mary

Ben Wales working on 18ft clinker launch Mary

The new stem, and the old stem piece and apron removed

Some time when you’re sitting in the warm, spare a thought for dedicated Ben Wales working when he can in the open air during this winter restoring his 18ft clinker-built motor launch Mary. While you’re at it, wish him luck and good weather.

Here’s what he wrote a few days ago:

‘Here is the latest update on my restoration on Mary. The work has been slow – the weather held us up for over a month as it was just too cold, and before that it was wet whenever we wanted to work on her outside.

‘The stem has now been replaced in English grown oak as the old one was badly worn and soft. Without a doubt this is the most complex and time consuming job we have done on the launch, and all without  power tools or power.

‘First, a template had to be cut out for the bottom and top stem piece and then drawn out on a new in 4in thick oak plank where the two were cut out.

‘The lower part of the stem, which joins with the kee, was first shaped to fit and then holes were drilled out for stainless steel bolts made the job. It had to be scarphed on each end, and a mixture of paint and putty was applied for packing.

‘The top part of the apron was also replaced and that was cut and shaped before the top stem piece was fitted.

‘While the upper part of the stem was fitted we had a quite a task to shape it, as we tried to follow the original patten precisely – but found that had been cut wrong. So after more shaping it fitted far better than the original it replaced.

‘The next task is to fit the gunwales and knees, and to reframe the topsides. When the Weather gets warmer and I have saved up some money, I will purchase the timber to plank her topsides.

‘Ben’

Thanks Ben – I’ll be thinking of you at least!

For an earlier post about this project, click here.

Humber keels and sloops

Humber keels racing

Humber sloops racing

Correction! I’ve received the following message from Dave Everatt of the Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society.

‘Gavin: To correct an error on my part, the photo I sent labelled Keel race was in fact not a race at all. Keel races were mainly in the 19th century and photos are rare and usually of very poor quality. When keels were racing they would usually set both mainsail and topsail and, because it was a special event, would also fly a burgee with the vessel’s name on it. The photo I sent you shows a group of keels heading down the Humber after ‘bunkering’ trawlers (that is, loading them with coal) in St Andrews Dock. They would be heading for the eastern docks, such as Alexandra Dock, to load a return cargo for the Aire & Calder or Sheffield &South Yorkshire Navigation. I have attached a further photo [pasted below – Ed] probably taken at the same time. Regards Dave’

Keels at Hull

I’m very pleased to be able to share these striking shots of Humber keels (top) and Humber sloops, thanks to Dave Everatt of the Humber Keel and Humber Sloop Society.

Taken in about 1900, the upper image in particular is a powerful reminder that many of us who come from the Eastern side of the UK are at least partly descended from the Vikings – and that there’s lots of genetic material to prove it.

The lower photo dates from the 1920s. In each case, click on the image for a much larger and clearer photo.

The society is currently celebrating its new website, so please check it out: www.keelsandsloops.org.uk. You’ll find that it cares for both a Humber keel and a Humber sloop, named Comrade and Amy Howson respectively.

While we’re on the subject, Youtube has a nice clip of the Humber sloop Spider T racing down the estuary on the tide.

PS – In the comments below Jim from Zanzibar asks about the paddle steamer in the lower photo. Here’s what HKHSS’s Dave Everatt has to say:

‘I cannot be 100 per cent sure but I believe the paddle steamer is the PS Humber. If so this is the information I could find on the vessel.

‘Of 131 tons, she was built by J T Eltringham & Co, South Shields 1895, and her propulsion was a paddle  driven by single cylinder engine by Hepple & Co of South Shields. Her tonnage was 131

‘She was owned by J Turner and operated from 1895.

‘She was built as a tug for use on the River Tyne and was converted for pleasure work after her tug career. She was iron-built, 100ft long, with a breadth of 19ft and a draught of 9ft. PS Humber made trips from Grimsby to Spurn, where she would land passengers by local rowing boats.

‘Regards

‘Dave Everatt’