Waiting for Nails

Monday and I should be tacking the sides on to the gun punt (posts passim), but the gripfast nails are somewhere en route from Anglia Stainless to our humble croft house, deep in the Highlands, and without them there's to be no nailing. Weather's ghastly, which seems to be the usual up here these days, although yesterday was a rare exeption: gentle breeze, warm and a Sunday too, so we had the full fleet of Flying Fifteens on the water, racing.

We maybe should have called the race the Prince Philip 90th anniversary Cup. The class has certainly come a long way since Uffa Fox and the prince sailed Coweslip together, and there's a world of difference in the boats. The newest boats have managed to squeeze an extra 2ft on to the waterline, which makes them plane earlier and faster than the older ones which have more rocker (though less wetted surface). Much better balance too.

Copyright Beken of Cowes (I imagine)

As expected the newest, an Ovington IX, proved faster than the older boats by a long chalk, although my Trenoweth (2796) managed to win the first race by a combination of skill, brilliance, guile, determination (and a timely wardrobe malfunction in the opposition, which I suspect was simply an excuse). Not so the second race which suggests that Ffly's victory will be the first and last.

Which is a pity, because the fun of racing is surely to have boats that are more or less equal. There's little fun in being a lap ahead of the fleet with no one to play with, and the none of the satisfaction of knowing you beat your fellow competitor using similar equipment. This is like a fight between a sabre and an AK47. But, I have to say, it's great for me to have a boat against which I can pit my wits, and, if luck plays a part, win from time to time. We'll see...

Meanwhile the rain falls, and  the sheep mooch about disconsolately. It's clippimg, or shearing time, so this weather is not much good. Tomorrow the sun will shine, and I have a day on the river planned, so something to look forward to. After the excitement of London, The Connaught and the Balvenie Awards, it's back to reality, I suppose. At least there's work in the offing.

Two Boat Builders and a Violin Maker

Well, I didn't win, but of the three finalists in The Balvenie Masters of Craft Awards, two of us were builders of boats (although the organisers would have it that we were "makers"). Don't know if I care to be a "maker"; sounds a bit, well, precious.

But the winner was not Gail McGarva, on her third gig for Lyme Regis, or myself but a fabulously dedicated violin maker by the name of Christoph Gottings. And I have absolutely no problem with that. Apparently he carried out nearly 1000 tests just to get the varnish right, which is why his violins are mentioned in the same breath as those made by Antonio Stradivari.

Photo copyright Nick Hand

Gotting's joints are many times closer than any boat builder could manage. There is no scope for less than perfection, and the choice of wood is critical. And yet there was one thing about which his young apprentice was envious: he must build precisely the same shaped violin every time, he told me after the award dinner. But a wooden boat is seldom the same from one to another, and the shape can be changed mid build. Much of it is in the eye of the builder. He has a certain freedom, in other words, denied to the maker of violins.

The awards took place at The Connaught in London, a treat in itself although I seemed to get through a pocketful of £1 coins in the space of a few minutes: every time someone hailed a taxi or opened a door.

Gail McGarva, gig builder extraordinary

Over dinner the old question of art vs craft flourished as one single malt followed another while a screen flashed up images of the finalists. There were winners in eight categories, ours was in Wood.

Kevin McCloud, one of the judges, told me that the choice to nominate two boat builders out of three finalists had been a hard one. Encouraging for all of us doing our little bit to keep the traditional ways alive. 

However, if there's one thing more important than a wooden boat, I would have to admit that it is the power of music. Which makes it no disappointment to be a runner up to someone like Christoph. On the contrary, just to be in the same category was an honour. To be honest I felt a bit of a fraud in such company...

In a Nutshell 2

Day 9 and the Nutshell is ready, primed and awaiting her owner. Funny how you get to bond with a boat. I found myself looking at it (her) from all angles and quite liking what I saw.

Inevitably I couldn't let it go without adding some capping to the transoms, to hide the end grain. There's something about plywood end grain that makes me cringe. Better to hide it, although I couldn't do the same with the lodging knees.

I did, however, add a touch of proper boat building by riveting them through, and it makes sense too. Those rivets will makes sure the shape stays in for as long as the boat lasts.

All in all then, I have to say that I am pleased with the result. Joel White designed a fine tender, and the plans (I have a few quibbles) were accurate.

Have I Arrived?

Can't say yet if it will make any difference to the level of enquiries received for wooden boats, but membership of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association is at least recognition after 10 years that I am a boat builder.

I reckon to have the basics of a certain type of boat building, in my case plywood... NO! What am I saying? Traditional clinker is what I meant to say. Just that if you were to drop by my air-conditioned, purpose built workshop you would see a couple of plywood boats on the go. And the sooner they've gone the better,  as I have a 14ft clinker boat next up, thank goodness.

The Nutshell pram has been satisfying, and mercifully quick. If nothing else you can build a boat in no time with plywood. And yet, and yet...

But I have set my sights higher, and I do believe solid timber is higher, for which reason I am very proud to be a member now of the WBTA, whose membership includes some of my boat building heroes. So, thanks those who felt I had earned my stripes. Trouble is my mentor Tom Whitfield in Australia knows full well that I haven't even scratched the surface of knowledge, and time is running out.

In a Nutshell

I cannot deny it, but there are now two plywood boats on the go at Viking Boats International (Leckmelm) plc. The gun punt is resting, while I had less than 10 working days to put together this Nutshell dinghy by Joel White. I don't have to finish her, just prime and off she goes for final painting.

Nice little boat, but it's not my idea of boat building, and the dust... Despite trying to wear a mask as much as possible, it's just not possible all the time. The worst is cutting bits of Super Elite on the bandsaw. My snot at the end of the day looks like Plastic Wood (maybe try it one day).

The schedule was tight:. Day 1, make the moulds and set up the jig (which extended into day two). Day 2, make the bow knee and main frame, and cut out the bottom from 9mm ply. Cut out transoms from 18mm Super Elite. Day 3, set up bow and transom, main frame and bow knee. Day 4, set the bottom board onto the main frame, and transoms. Bevel edges for garboards. Day 5, cut out and fit garboards. Bevel garboards ready for next plank. Day 6, cut out and fit next plank, and bevel. Day 7, cut out and fit sheerstrake, wood seal transoms, frame and knee. Day 8, lift off jig, make thwarts, fit rubbing strips. General clean up. Plane to sheerline. Day 9 (half day), fit knees, clean up gunwale.

Which leaves a day and half in hand to prime the inside, rivet up the knees and generally tidy her up for delivery.

The glue I used was Robbins' replacement for Balcotan, called Collano. It is nothing like Balcotan, which can be chipped off, but sets hard like a one-part epoxy, and sticks like epoxy too. In fact in future, unless there's a good reason for mixing up mayonnaise, I will be using the new stuff as it's a joy to spread, quick and clean.

By the end of the month there'll be a Tammie Norie on the go, in solid timber, Scots pine in fact from the Queen's estate at Balmoral.

Loki at Large

Here, by popular demand, is a typical shot of Loki at the recent Coigach Regatta, lifted from Ulla's website (www.ullcoastrow.wordpress.com) showing the brave Royal Loch Broom Sailing Club stroking, if not to victory, then to third place lead by bow man Robert, No 3 Andy, No 2 Sandy and stroked by John, with Commodore Copestake in steerage.

The strength of the wind, and temperature can be judged by the fact that Loki's figurehead was protected throughout the day with a wooly hat (celebrating her Irish bow man's birth place). Cut down on windage too.

Photo copyright Chris Perkins

18.16 9,999

At 16 minutes past six the visitor tally stood at 9,999. As I type it has just passed the 10,000 mark. Whoever you are, welcome. Now get back to doing something useful...