Tag: tim price

An Islay skiff, a stripper canoe and a model Folkboat – three more summer BBA launches

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Martin McMahon Islay Skiff

Martin McMahon Islay Skiff

James Downs - strip-built Canadian Canoe

Model Nordic Folkboat Tim Price - model Nordic Folkboat

The final three boats launched by Boat Building Academy students this year are a 16ft 5in Selway Fisher-designed Islay skiff built by Martin McMahon, a 14ft 3in Canadian canoe built by James Downs, and a 1m remote controlled model Nordic Folkboat made by Tim Price.

After 40 years of sales and marketing, the lure of boat building training could wait no longer for Martin, who is an experienced sailor. Like a number of other BBA students in the past, he chose to build a Selway-Fisher design, and this time it was the strip planked Islay skiff in red cedar.

James joined the Academy straight from college where he studied carpentry
and joinery.

Originally from South Africa, Tim came to the BBA via Alderney in the Channel Islands.  He built his 1m remote control model of a Nordic Folkboat in his spare time.

The next Boat Building Academy student launch will be 9.30am on Thursday the 9th December. Up to five boats will be launched from the class of march 2010.

The builds include a replica of the traditional clinker-built Dorset crab and lobster boat Witch of Worbarrow (see more of this project here), a 13 ft 6 in cold-moulded electric motor launch, a 14ft Whitehall skiff, a 15ft Chestnut canoe and an 18ft strip-planked, gaff-rigged daysailer.

The latest on these builds can be seen at the BBA website.

BBA students build a clinker YW Dayboat

14ft Yachting World Dayboat 14ft Yachting World Dayboat

14ft Yachting World Dayboat

Yachting World Dayboat Tailwind – first three photos thanks to Jenny Steer, the final one thanks to Tracey Marler

Six months at the Boat Building Academy gave Lachlan (Locky) McKenzie enough time to build a Yachting World Day Boat with help from fellow students Tom Trevessey and Tim Price.

The traditional clinker build began in January 2010 after the initial foundation carpentry and joinery phase of the 38-week course. Locky chose the design because he is a keen dinghy sailor, and intends sailing her competitively.

Tailwind is spruce planked on a mahogany backbone, case, thwarts and frames with oak timbers. Locky has great hopes that his wooden boat will perform well against her plastic opponents when he races her out of Bosham – although he says she’s faster than the crew so anything is possible.

Instructor Justin Adkin modified the plank lines to allow better water flow around the hull, and altered the deck structure and layout, incorporating five full frames, to stiffen the hull and allow it to be tensioned up in a similar way to a Salcombe Yawl.  A photodiary of the build can be seen on the BBA website.

Tom, from Cheltenham, and Tim, originally from South Africa, shared the main work on the build. Tim, who is a Maritime and Coastguard Agency Master of Yachts, has worked as crew, a water taxi, sailing instructor and in yacht delivery, and straight after the BBA course he started work at the Elephant Boatyard at Southampton. Tom, who joined the course because he wants to work in the marine industry, is heading off to New Zealand some time before the end of the year.

Locky’s Yachting World Day Boat has attracted a lot of attention, not just because it is a return to traditional wooden construction for the class, but also because of its beauty; the elegant decking and combing make great finishing touches.