CCraftsmanshipraftsmanship
Edited by Steffan Meyric Hughes: +44 (0)207 349 3758
Email: [email protected]PORTSOY, ABERDEENSHIRE
The Duke of Kent visits a cobleEAST COAST, ENGLAND
Save one of the
first 8-M yachtsNorth Sails has cut the ribbon on a new loft, with what the company believes to be the
largest, raised sailmaking floor in the world, at 1,950m^2 (21,000sq ft) reports Toby
Heppell. The new loft is located in Gosport, Hampshire, and will be used to make sails
for a range of boats from dinghies to super yachts, and in a variety of materials.
The loft will cut its own Dacron and other cloths alongside more modern laminates.
The facility includes a specially designed, moving sewing machine pod. There is also a
separate section of the facility given over to maintenance and repair.HRH the Duke of Kent visited the Aberdeenshire coast on 26 October to
open the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival’s new boatshed, reports Clare
McComb. A new salmon-fishing coble had arrived just in time for the royal
visitor, although getting the 26ft (7.9m) boat through the workshop door
had required the demolishing of a wall. She was pulled out on rollers, before
being moved down to the harbour by specialist hauliers.
‘Nothing daunted’ would be an appropriate motto for the STBF
volunteers who, backed by an HLF grant, have combined existing local skills
with careful trial-and-improvement techniques to bring this project to life.
Almost all had to learn traditional techniques from scratch: lofting, steaming
timber, scarfing and riveting were vital in creating the end product. Stephen
MacMillan of New Moon Films has spent several months in Portsoy, recording
the progress of the project – a record for the future. This coble as yet has no
name, or if it does, it is a very closely guarded secret: even HRH was kept in
ignorance. She will be revealed in all her glory at the STBF in June 2016.Dr William Collier of GL Watson contacted
us with a plea for someone to buy the 8-M
yacht Bryony which is languishing ashore
on the East Coast. She was designed and
owned by RE Froude, one of two Britons
present at the conference that brought in
the International or ‘Metre’ Rule. Built by
Camper & Nicholsons in 1909, she is also
the last of his boats surviving. “There could
scarcely be a more historically important
8-M. She needs and deserves a total
restoration,” says William. Email him if you
are interested at [email protected]Yard News
BEKEN OF COWESIAN ROMAN, C/O NORTH SAILSCLARE MCCOMBMore like this at classicboat.co.uk/category/yard-newsGOSPORT, SOLENT
Biggest sail floor in the world?
SAVE