Boat Camp – a Faversham project to build two John Welsford rowing skiffs this summer

joansa

The Faversham Creek Trust and local boatbuilder Alan Thorne (see his ad in the left-hand column) are raising funds for a project they’re calling Boat Camp – the idea is to get ten or so youngsters from Faversham’s Abbey School into a workshop for a fortnight this summer to build a couple of legendary New Zealand designer John Welsford’s lovely Joansa skiffs.

The project will be based in the FCT’s Purifier building by the Creek.

Alan has set up a Givey site for donations. The FCT is looking for funding for this from lots of sources including Givey

Another upcoming FCT event is the forthcoming Brents Dinner on the 2nd July. It’s a community fundraiser for the Brents Community Association, which is raising money for the Nautical Festival and for the cost of their planned open air gym. I’m told it was a great night last year, when it was held for the Swing the Bridge fund. Download this poster for details.

Fundraising for a Summer Boat Camp for ten 14-16 year olds from Abbey School, Faversham. Under supervised, expert instruction they will build two 15′ 6″ rowing boats (a ‘Joansa’ design – a lightweight skiff for two oarsmen plus one coxswain) in Faversham Creek Trust’s Purifier Building. The finished boats will then be kept by the school for use on Faversham Creek or elsewhere.

John Welsford completes Scraps – his new tender design for solo sailors

New 6ft John  Welsford dinghy Scraps

John Welsford has completed the first example of his new one-man dinghy design Scraps – boat building plans are to come. He says the boat took 17 hours to build, and reports that it is stable enough to stand in (if he’s careful) rows straight, turns well, is about neutral in a crosswind and on her maiden outing handled wind against tide chop very nicely.

Long-time John Welsford fans will notice that the new little craft bears more than a passing resemblance to his tiny open cruising boat Scamp. I gather a set of plans and a construction manual will be available shortly.

Read much more about John’s excellent and effective designs at his website.

Here’s a photo of JW with Scraps taken just yesterday by intheboatshed.net regular Paul Mullings, who reports that the little dinghy rows very well. Thanks Paul!

John  Welsford and Scraps photographed by Paul Mullings