Faversham – Page 20 – intheboatshed.net

Idle Duck is back on the water

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Idle Duck is back on the water and looking good, as these photos from a week and a half ago show.

The bawley-derived Maurice Griffiths-designed boat (use the search to find posts about both Idle Duck and Scoter) has been now in the hands of my friend Bob Telford for a couple of years now, and after a couple of seasons’ hard work repairing decks and bulwarks at Alan Staley’s yard at Faversham, she’s looking very smart in her fresh paint.

The view from Idle Duck’s cockpit

Man on the River needs a motorboat helm’s help to cross the Channel

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Environmental campaigner and long distance rower Giacomo de Stefano has stopped off at Oare Creek near Faversham and is greatly impressed by the size of its tides and doubtless also by its peerlessly gloopy mud.

He has also met some well known local boating people, including Leena Reekie and Bob Berk.

Giacomo’s rowing his Iain Oughtred-designed Ness Yawl from London to Turkey via 15 countries with a companion, and from reading his weblog I believe he may need an experienced sailor to helm his support boat across the English Channel in a few days. Does anyone out there fancy an out-of-the-ordinary sea trip complete with cameras? It might be fun… If you’re interested and know what you’re doing, contact Giacomo via his website: http://www.manontheriver.com .

John Leather New Blossom small cruiser built and launched at Faversham

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Horatia, built at Faversham to a John Leather design.
Click on the pictures for larger photos

Bob Telford has kindly passed me these photos of the launch and building of Horatia, Mike Terry’s pretty new boat built at Alan Staley’s yard at Faversham to John Leather’s New Blossom plans. Thanks Bob and congratulations Mike!

She is built from epoxy bonded plywood, sealed with epoxy and traditionally painted.

John Leather, who passed away in 2006, is much missed, not least for his advocacy of old-style boatbuilding and boats through many, many articles and books, and also for his design work. It’s fair to say that his influence has been huge in the traditional boats and boatbuilding world – for a flavour see this notice from the Classic Boat folks.

For more on Leather, read boat builder Jamie Clay’s obituary at the Albert Strange Association website.

Alan Staley can be contacted at 01795 530668, alanstaleyboatbuilds@dsl.pipex.com.