Professional boat builder Nick Smith has just set up these moulds and centreline to build another of his splendid old fashioned West Country-style motor launches in his workshop near Christchurch.
This one, a 16ft example, has yet to find a buyer, so it could be yours. These boats make great small sea boats for fishing, birdwatching, picknicking, watching regattas and the rest. They’re quick and seaworthy for their size, and have a real traditional pedigree about them – Nick learned his trade from earlier generations of boatbuilders in a boatyard at Salcombe in the 1970s, before the old trades in the town gave way to art galleries, maritime-theme boutiques and ice cream parlours.
The new boat is to be planked in khaya mahogany and framed with New Forest oak, varnished throughout, and fitted with a 9hp Yanmar single cylinder diesel inboard.
The first shot shows the moulds that Nick will use, while the remainder are of Louise, a boat of the same size and shape that he built a couple of years ago. The new owner will be free to alter the internal layout and choice of engine if they wish.
If any you’re interested in owning this new launch, contact Nick at
nick_smith_boatbuilder@yahoo.com or by telephone on 07786 693370; you will also be very welcome to visit his workshop, which is four miles from Christchurch in Dorset for a yarn and take a look at progress.
