Tag: Lyme

Marc Chivers and helpers build a 13ft clinker pilot punt

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Once again, Boat Building Academy principal Yvonne Green has sent us some more photos from the big student launch day at Lyme in December. Thanks Yvonne!

Marc Chivers was a manager with the NHS before he decided to change his life.

At the Boat Building Academy he built a 13ft traditional clinker pilot punt in larch on oak with a grown crook for a stem. She’s fastened with non-ferrous fastenings and bedded in a traditional manner, and the the lines were taken from a work of historical reference by Malcolm Darch.

Marc’s main helpers on the build were Seb Evans, who now wants to design and build traditional craft for a livingt, and Kevin Marshall, who is now working for T Nielsen & Co at Gloucester Docks.

By the way – I’ve just seen a pdf file of the Academy’s prospectus for the coming year, and I must say it makes very interesting reading. Email Yvonne at office@boatbuildingacademy.com and I’m sure she’ll send you a copy.

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Bob Hinks and Ray Holmes build fast, shallow-draft dayboat Cirrus at the Boat Building Academy

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Launch day views of Cirrus

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Designer and boatbuilding instructor Mike Broome, photographed with Cirrus

Boat Building Academy principal Yvonne Green has sent us some more photos from the big student launch day at Lyme in December.

‘Bob Hinks and Ray Holmes built Cirrus, a 20ft western red cedar strip planked, epoxy glass sheathed day sailer designed by Academy instructor Mike Broome.

‘She was designed to be shallow draught, equipped with a ballasted centreboard and lifting rudder to enable use either under sail or using auxilliary power.

‘She mixes traditional style with modern systems, and is equipped with an electric sail-drive with a two-blade folding prop. Batteries sit either side of the centreboard case to provide ballast as well as power for the prop. She also has a traditionally-laid deck and bespoke steelwork on chainplates, rudder and centreboard.

‘On her maiden voyage Bob, who was formerly owner and MD of  special effects company Asylum and electronic engineer Ray achieved 5.5 knots sailing in light airs.

‘Bob and Ray worked long hours, and Cirrus is a testament to their focus and determination.

‘Since the course ended in December, Bob has hired space in a yard near the Academy and over the next few months is going to refine and perfect Cirrus before going into production.’

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Cirrus in the workshop


A Selway Fisher Northumbrian coble launched at the Boat Building Academy

This time they show Neil Bailey’s boat built to the Selway Fisher Northumbrian coble plans.

‘Neil, a Royal Marine for 22 years before coming on the course, wanted to find a new career working creatively with wood. With his main partner on the build, journalist Mike Lowson, he built the the boat with a solid mahogany sheer strake and fitted the boat out in sapele.

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Neil Bailey on launch day – and doesn’t it look like a real celebration!

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As promised, Boat Building Academy principal Yvonne Green has sent us some more photos from the big student launch day at Lyme in December.

This time they show Neil Bailey’s boat built to the Selway Fisher Northumbrian coble plans.

‘Neil, a Royal Marine for 22 years before coming on the course, wanted to find a new career working creatively with wood.  With his main partner on the build, journalist Mike Lowson, he built the the boat with a solid mahogany sheer strake and fitted the boat out in sapele.

‘In the entire 38 weeks of the course we didn’t see Neil look half as happy as when he opened the champagne and took to the water for the first time.’

Yvonne addss that the Academy has been busy recently with a wooden boat restoration course that included staff from some of the leading museums. Apparently,  the eight on the course were keen to come back and suggested the folks at Lyme should think of running more courses on restoration. The hot news right now is that intermediate and advanced wooden boat restoration courses are being planned, probably next year.

The ‘coble’ itself seems a very attractive and useful boat, but I’m not sure how much it resembles a traditional cobles: click here for a post about cobles at intheboatshed.net. For more intheboatshed.net posts mentioning cobles, click here.