The 2016 Sydney CWBF saw the first Novice
Canoe Building Challenge by teams of high school
students. Given the great success in the first round,
the challenge is set to go ahead again! In teams, the
students will build a Bellinger Canoe over three days.
Before, launching head first, into Darling Harbour
to race their canoe around Cockle Bay to test their
teacher’s dexterity.
We hear you ask – “How can students with no prior
knowledge build a canoe ready for the water in three
days?” Well, this is made possible with the expert
guidance of Brian Jones (the designer of the Bellinger
and retired primary school teacher) using materials
donated by DRIVE Marine and BoatCraft Pacific.
Pulling together pre-cut panels of 4mm plywood is
made simple through Brian’s expert guidance and
the use of cable ties along with Bote-Cote Epoxy
Resin thickened with Bote-Cote’s easy to mix Gluing
and Filleting Filler. The other key player in making it
left: Novice canoe builders
at C&WBF 2016.
below left: Model of RaN
Standard launch.happen is Alesha Bleakley- the dynamo teacher who
is charged with digging up
the teams and looking after
the myriad of paperwork
required to get students
out of the classroom. There
are a couple of videos on
You Tube under ‘Bellinger
Canoe’ which show the
students having a ball
pulling a canoe into shape.
It is amazing to see
green students working
cooperatively at a swift
pace bringing the canoes to
life. Close of day one, will
see all teams with canoes
pulled into shape using
cable ties and ready to have
a ‘gooping’ good time with
filleting all of the seams. By
Saturday evening all seams
will be filleted and a coat of
Bote-Cote applied on the
inside.
If you know a high school
that may be interested in
entering a team in the canoe
build or you are interested in entering the Quick-N-
Dirty Boat Building Competition contact the ANMM
at http://www.anmm.gov.au/whats-on/calendar/
classic-wooden-boat-festival or the C&WBF Project
Manager at 02 9298 3777.
These are a few of the activities that are being
planned to occupy the time of those young and old
over the weekend. There will also be model boat
displays, marine artworks and many other activities
for you to ensure you need a couple of days to take it
all in.
see you at the Australian National Maritime
Museum April 13-15, 2018. Put it in your
diary – Oops, Outlook calendar or whatever
Fangle Dangle technology you use to jolt
your memory.