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.
Congratulations, Adrian!
ReplyDeleteOnce again you prove your mettle.
An aside. I am trying to sell my favorite clinker skiff, planked with world famous, indigenous locally Port Orford cedar and cross planked on her bottom with African mahogany.
A couple fellows have balked because they couldn't stand the concept of her leaking every time she's launched. I told one of them that she took up within an hour and that was the last I heard of him!
She's never taken on more than a half pint, which is more than we can say about her skipper.
michael
More congratulations.
ReplyDeletedespite having "nailed" a couple of plywood boats together in no time I'm inexorably drawn to the real thing. Every time I pick up a piece of real timber I take another step, it's a delight to work with - I'm even looking at that 18" day boat in the classic boat listings thinking I could....
Nice article, thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteSolid Timber