Tag: Beale Park

Chris Perkins’ photos from the Beale Park Boat and Outdoor Show

I’m most grateful to Chris Perkins for giving me permission to raid his impressive collection of photos from this year’s Beale Park Boat and Outdoor Show.

Chris is a lovely, meticulous photographer, and seems to have the knack of being unobtrusive when he’s shooting – no-one in his shots seems to pose for the camera! See his full collection at Flickr but please don’t use them without his permission!

From the top left they show three Watercraft magazine Amateur Boat Building Awards entries:

  • Agape a Nottage 12 designed by Fabian Bush and beautifully traditionally built by Richard Harvey (three photos)
  • Curlew, a Nick Smith-designed traditional launch built in the traditional way by Richard Pease (two photos)
  • Strummer, an Iain Oughtred-designed Ness Yawl built in clinker ply by Ian Prior
  • Polly, an Iain Oughtred designed Swampscott dory built in the traditional way by John Kingston (three pics – and isn’t she gorgeous!)

There’s also a general shot of the competition entries.

Also we have a currach (two pics); a Thames skiff set up for camping (two photos), the Old Gaffers Association menagerie of small boats on show, an oldish ply-looking river launch; Moiety, built by Nick Smith, a bit of repair work going on outside the International Boatbuilding Training College stand (principal Nat is wearing the black hat); Kipperman Mike Smylie playing the kipper xylophone (black hats are in fashion, gentlemen); and some typical scenes on the water at Beale Park (six photos).

Before leaving Beale Park – try to see the museum!

 

These are scenes from a wet and windy Beale Park Thames Boat Show today (Friday) – the weather was so bad the public were turned away for safety reasons, the security folks said.

I gather tomorrow is expected to be much better!

However I have an urgent message for show attendees. On your way out, if you get a chance to see it don’t miss the World of Boats permanent exhibition curated by ex-Boat Building Academy student Michael Tyler. The exhbition is not yet complete, but nevertheless it’s equipped with some very interesting craft, and well worth half an hour or an hour of anyone’s time. I’ve posted a couple of photos below:

 

Beale Park Boat Show: Bart Jan Bats shows a Nigel Irens daysailer

Bart Jan Bats BJ17

 

Bart Jan Bats has written to say the company will be at the Beale Park Boat Show (10-12 June) to show its distinctive Nigel Irens daysailer, the trailable BJ17 , which has a polyester hull with modern lines, a balanced lug rig (a single-masted gaff rig is also available) and a large self-draining  cockpit.

The company says the two masted lug has several advantages: a higher rig, it drives the boat better, especially in light winds, and the mizzen makes it easy to keep the boat pointing into the wind when hoisting sails or anchoring. Also, the sheets of both sails come together near the helmsman, which
makes single-handed sailing easy, while the rest of the cockpit is free of lines, allowing four people to be seated in comfort.

Some buyers may prefer the more familiar gaff-rigged version, however.

Bart Jan Bats will also be showing a Thames launch currently available for sale. It is built in cedar strip covered with 7mm mahogany, and finished with epoxy and a two-component polyurethane varnish. The deck is maple with mahogany, while the floor is teak with koto lines. The motor is a Volvo Penta 10hp.

Thames launch Ashling for sale