Boats built by Boat Building Academy students

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Ian Thompson folding dinghy Nestaway

Ian Thomson and his Nestaway folding dinghy

Yvonne Green, principal of the Boat Building Academy at Lyme Regis has kindly sent us some photos and details of boatbuilding projects by recent students. Thanks Yvonne!

Ian Thomson joined the Boat Building Academy’s 38-week course because he wanted to develop a sectional dinghy, now known as Nestaway. Since leaving the Academy he and the student who helped him on the build have set up a workshop in Dorset and will be exhibiting at the Southampton Boat Show this year. Readers may also have seen it at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show this year.

In an earlier life, Ian was sales director for Nauticalia, so I’m sure he has the enterprise to make a success of the Nestaway, if anyone can do it.

The Nestaway photographed at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show

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Folding and skin-on-frame boats at this year’s Beale Park Thames Boat Show

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Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding dinghy at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008.
As usual, click on the photos for a much larger image

Folding and skin-on-frame boats are always represented at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show, and this year was no exception. I was particularly impressed with this folding skin on frame dinghy – folding canoes and tenders are relatively commonplace, but this is a much bigger production.

Here’s exhibitor Roger French’s history and explanation, followed by some more shots, and a coracle or two:

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Folding boats at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show 2008

Coracle at the Beale Part Thames Boat Show 2008

Coracle at the Beale Part Thames Boat Show 2008

The Hudson folding boat floats!

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The Hudson folding boat floats

Hudson folding boat at Beale Park Thames Boat Show, photographed
by Chris Perkins

The amazing Hudson folding boat floats! I hadn’t realised it was in a condition to do so, but these folks look suitably relaxed and dry for a trip on the River Thames.

Many thanks to our kind friend Chris Perkins for the photograph, and for the news that Mr Hudson’s invention still works well! It’s an interesting shape for a tender too, don’t you think?

Follow the link for more intheboatshed.net posts on the Hudson folding boat.