C/O RATSEY AND LAPTHORNNIC COMPTONCOWES, IOW
New boss at Ratsey's
Ratsey and Lapthorn, one of the most venerable names in sail-making, has
appointed a new general manager in the shape of Steve Meakin, formerly
trading as Cormorant Sails. Steve is a lifelong sailor with experience of
sailing in everything from dinghies to fishing smacks, large classic racing
yachts, cruising yachts and offshore racing yachts. His engineless gaff
yawl Cormorant is well known on the east coast race scene and Steve's
now looking forward to returning her to her home waters (she was built
on the Hamble by A R Luke's Bros in 1911). Steve will compete in as many
classic sailing events as allows when not working.PENPOL, CORNWALL
New yard for Ashley Butler and Co
Regular readers will have followed the career of the Kentish
boatbuilder Ashley Butler, from restoring his Morecambe Bay prawner
Ziska (CB136), aged 21, and sailing it across the Atlantic, to building
his own bawley yacht Sally B and sailing it back to Britain solo
(CB204), setting up shop in Kent (CB212), then at Old Mill Creek in
Dartmouth (CB272), which he still owns and rents out to other marine
businesses, before fetching up at Gweek Quay in Cornwall and losing
his yard there – but not before building two 50ft (15.1m) wooden
cruising yachts (CB329).
The latest news is that he’s bought another boatyard, this time on
a quiet corner of the River Fal. Run for the past 20 years by Brian
Pope, the yard used to specialise in Metre yachts. Courtesy of a
grant from the Cornwall Marine Capital Fund, Ashley plans to turn
the yard into a centre of excellence for wooden boat building and
restoration. When we visited in April, Ashley had several projects on
the go, including the ongoing rebuild of the 1880s Itchen Ferry
Sheltie; fitting a new wooden keel (from a single, massive piece of
iroko) on the 1938 Fred Shepherd yawl Amokura; and recommissioning
the 1924 Fife sloop Rosemary, recently restored there. His own
Mayflower 50 was moored up at the jetty (and for sale), and he plans
to resume building the 40ft (12.2m) version as soon as he finds a client.
Never one to sit idle, he was also whittling a half-model for a new
Skye class dayboat based on the Falmouth quay punts. At 20-24ft
(6.1-7.3m) long, Ashley sees it as a rival to the Cornish Shrimper.
And was that old twinkle back in Ashley’s eyes? Yes, you guessed
it. Ashley has found a soulmate in Holly Latham, owner of the 2004
lugger Veracity (built by Marcus Rowden of Grayhound fame), who
has joined him at Penpol. There, as a former marine biologist turned
boatbuilder, you can be sure she will be as active in the office as on
the shop floor. Look out for a new instalment soon... Nic ComptonClockwise from top
left: Holly and
Ashley and the
half-model of the
Mayflower 40 in
front of the timber
destined to be her
planking; Inside the
new yard, Amokura
to the left; Holly
Latham’s 2004
lugger Veracity; the
yard at Penpol