An Islay skiff, a stripper canoe and a model Folkboat – three more summer BBA launches

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Martin McMahon Islay Skiff

Martin McMahon Islay Skiff

James Downs - strip-built Canadian Canoe

Model Nordic Folkboat Tim Price - model Nordic Folkboat

The final three boats launched by Boat Building Academy students this year are a 16ft 5in Selway Fisher-designed Islay skiff built by Martin McMahon, a 14ft 3in Canadian canoe built by James Downs, and a 1m remote controlled model Nordic Folkboat made by Tim Price.

After 40 years of sales and marketing, the lure of boat building training could wait no longer for Martin, who is an experienced sailor. Like a number of other BBA students in the past, he chose to build a Selway-Fisher design, and this time it was the strip planked Islay skiff in red cedar.

James joined the Academy straight from college where he studied carpentry
and joinery.

Originally from South Africa, Tim came to the BBA via Alderney in the Channel Islands.  He built his 1m remote control model of a Nordic Folkboat in his spare time.

The next Boat Building Academy student launch will be 9.30am on Thursday the 9th December. Up to five boats will be launched from the class of march 2010.

The builds include a replica of the traditional clinker-built Dorset crab and lobster boat Witch of Worbarrow (see more of this project here), a 13 ft 6 in cold-moulded electric motor launch, a 14ft Whitehall skiff, a 15ft Chestnut canoe and an 18ft strip-planked, gaff-rigged daysailer.

The latest on these builds can be seen at the BBA website.

Old fashioned and classic sailing boats of the Norfolk Broads, autumn 2010

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On Barton Broad 13 Hunter's Yard sailing cruiser

On Barton Broad 8 Broads sailing cruiser

On Barton Broad 14 19th century Broads sailing cruiser Zoe sails by On Barton Broad 14 19th century Broads sailing cruiser Zoe sails by On Barton Broad 11 RNSA dinghy sails by

On Barton Broad 5 A Hunter's Yard boat sails by On Barton Broad 10 Broads sailing cruiser

Norfolk Broads Wherry Albion Norfolk Broads Wherry Albion How Hill boatshed

Photos of traditional sailing craft of the Norfolk Broads, including everyone’s favourite, the 19th century Broads sailing cruiser Zoe, a Royal Navy Sailing Association dinghy, the Norfolk wherry Albion, and a charmingly dilapidated boat shed. Click on the images for a much larger photo

We’re just back from a short trip to the Norfolk Broads in the Broads sailing  cruiser Camellia, hired from the helpful folks at the Broads Yachting Company, of Horning – and these are some of our snaps. If only we could have stayed longer!

We recently rather enjoyed the book The Norfolk Broads: The Golden Years, which we bought in Norfolk earlier this year. It’s a compendium of photos and descriptions by the charming Broads writer and keen sailor Philippa Miller, and include many shots of familiar scenes from the area going back to early in the 20th century. It’s difficult to get now, but I notice Amazon sellers have a few copies.

As seen on TV – the Humber sloop Spider T

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BBC film of Humber sloop Spider T

The BBC has made a short film about the 1920s New Holland-built Humber sloop Spider T, which is now available for charter, corporate events and so on. Click on the link above to go to the relevant BBC page – I don’t think this one will be limited to UK viewers only.

Owner and restorer Mal Nicholson tells her story as the cameras wander around the boat, and there’s even a nice clip of the Spider T sailing. Priceless stuff, and well done Mal!

For more on the Spider T story, click here for intheboatshed.net posts and here for the Spider T website.

As I write, Amazon lists just two copies of a book by Michael E Ulyatt about the Humber’s legendary sailing barges, which show clear evidence of both Viking and Dutch influence in their development: Flying Sail: Humber Keels and Sloops. Also, Tony Watts’ excellent book Holmes of the Humber includes George Holmes’ descriptions of many of the Humber’s characteristic boats, as well as his own boats and voyages.