This Bridlington-built rowing boat is beautiful – but the owner needs help

This lovely rowing boat built by P Siddall of Bridlington – but its Dutch owner, Ton Jansse, is in need of knowledge and advice on how best to proceed. He has already asked how to replace the missing bits of strake, how the interior should be laid out, what kind of paint to use and what colours would have been used originally.

He’s clearly the kind of chap who wants to do it the right way.

If anyone can fill in some of the gaps in terms of paint and colours, interior and so on – and if anyone has photos of similar boats, please let me know at gmatkin@gmail.com, as usual.

But perhaps the biggest question, I think, is the one about how to obtain the necessary boatbuilding skills. Short of going on a course (desirable, probably, but not always practical), what do readers think an amateur’s best sources are these days?

Bill Dowell renovates a clinker dinghy

Finesse sailor Bill Dowell has a very nice weblog about his current project – restoring a small clinker built dinghy. Take a look and wish him luck!

Cornish folks to try to rescue the Ocean Pride

Facebook has news, if you’re a Facebook user: a few weeks ago Penlee Lifeboat Coxswain Patch Harvey found the Newlyn-built counter-stern lugger, PZ 134 Ocean Pride, at Rye Harbour in Sussex. Naturally, she is desperately in need of care and restoration.

See the Facebook page for more photos and information.

The Ocean Pride was once owned by Patch’s grandfather, Ted ‘Chuggy’ Downing, and he hopes to bring her back to Newlyn in the near future.

This project is in it’s early stages but we hope to involve the whole community. Watch this space for more news!

My thanks to Kipperman Mike Smylie for pointing out this piece of good news.