Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
This photo of a new Cape Henry Cutter – a ply-built four-berth 21-foot trailer sailer designed by Dudley Dix and built by Tiernan Roe comes from Tiernan’s latest ‘Roeboats’ newsletter.
Those who like to know these things may be interested to hear that she has an empty weight of 1160kg (2557lb) including 520kg of ballast (1146lb), and can have a swing keel or twins. I think she looks like a fun boat; Tiernan reports that she’s set up for single-handing.
It’s always good to hear of a boat builder, repairer and restorer is busy despite the straightened and worrying times in which we live. Here’s Tiernan Roe’s newsletter about the doings at Roe Boats down at Ballydehob, County Cork:
Well it’s been a busy few months here at Roeboats. I’m currently finishing up the interior refit of a Squib keel boat, all of the wooden interior has been replaced with low weight plywood and epoxy coated to limit water absorption and hopefully keep the boat as a light as possible. Of course a fiberglass hull is going to be heavier than a wooden one and probably absorb as much water. Doing this job has reminded me of how much I dislike fiberglass as a material.
I’ve also been spending much of my free time developing plans for the Belfast Lough One Design ‘Jewel‘ class designed by Linton Hope. There’s not much information available about either the designer or the boats, but I think they could be excellent day-sailers/classic racers for the 21st century. More anon. [Read about the Jewels in Folkard on pages 309-312.]
I’ve also been busy building a 16ft micro cruiser for a repeat client. It’ll be a one-person, self righting, yawl-rigged sharpie very similar to the Catbird I built in 2010. I should have the planking finished soon: she’s scheduled for a May launching, just in time for summer.
Other news is that the boats I built for the HBO Game of Thrones TV series are featured in the trailer for season 3, which is way cool (I’ll have to get a tuxedo for all of the Oscars I might win). Watch it here you’ll see the boat around the middle of the clip, don’t blink or you’ll miss it. It’s the one on fire.
That’s all for now, next issue will most likely include the launching of the boat above and a schedule of where you can see some Roeboats on the water during the Summer.
Tiernan can be reached by phone (tel +353 (0)28 38973 and +353 (0)86 158 6937 [mobile]) and via his website.
I must say I’m amused about the Game of Thrones thing… I never imagined I’d be posting about it!
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It may not look like much at the moment, but this is the very beginning of a new project for Tiernan Roe. Tiernan is a South-West Ireland-based boatbuilder who has recently received a huge amount of positive coverage for a beautiful John Atkin-designed Ninigret 22 he built for a client.
The acclaim has come from quite a variety of sources, including the hard to please Wooden Boat magazine.
Here’s what Tiernan has to say:
‘Just thought you might like to know what I’m up to at the moment. I’ve started building a Karl Stambaugh-designed Catbird 16 cruising sharpie for a client to use on Galway Bay.
It’s to be a ‘sailaway’, as they say – so the client will be doing the rigging and painting. Oh joy!
I’ve attached a few photos of setting up the frames, and I’m hoping to do a bit of a stop motion video when I’m finished and when I get the time.
I hope all is well with you. As always I’m enjoying intheboatshed – only last night reading I was reading about canoe yawls in WP Stephens’ book, and now all I have to do is find a client who wants one.
Anyway if you have any queries etc. don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Teirnan’
Click here for Tiernan’s weblog. For information about Karl Stambaugh’s Catbird 16, click here.