Thread: Do we have a talented boat builder here looking for an amazing challenge?

Missus Frog (for you leave us no other name ), this mix of history and making stuff is exactly what I'd love to be doing with my life. Sadly, I'm in Adelaide, South Australia, which is a wee bit too far to commute, even if I did ride my push bike. Of course, I could move closer but I've got two kids who are strangely keen on having dad close to hand.

Dammit - I'm joking only in the tone of my reply, I really would love to be involved in such a project.

Please don't let this craft be made of fibreglass. That rotten stuff has its place in the world but far too many people are fooled into thinking it's the magic material that replaces everything. I can't see how it'd be difficult to build a real replacement (ie, you assemble bits of dead tree in a similar manner to the original), it only lacks the will to do it. There HAVE to be people in Europe dedicated to rebuilding these old craft or at least to making replicas. Not to do so is just stupid.

In the meantime, might I suggest you contact Iain Oughtred. He's not on the internet but does have a deep interest in boating history and in producing modern versions of old style boats. If nothing else, I believe he'd be sympathetic to your cause and may be able to better guide you than I am. His address is:

Iain Oughtred, Boat Designer
Struan Cottage
Bernisdale
Isle of Skye IV51 9NS Scotland

Keep us posted on your hunt please.
Richard

Richard,

Thanks so much for your reply. Hell, you only need a quick trip to take measurements and source timbers, get it all sent to Oz, make the boat at your leisure and get it shipped (oh look a boat joke) back! lol. And you'd have to cost in your trips and time of course!

But I will pass on the name of the scottish bloke, it may be just what they're looking for especially since scotland is "just across the way"

Brilliant help, I knew this forum would be the place to go. I will make sure I'm kept in the loop and if this scottish guy doesnt work out I'll make sure that they let me know so I can still keep looking. Perhaps then you could put in your quotation.......

SONJA AKA the wife of a squashed frog.

I'm rather sure you'll find a local preservation society or one on the big island to your east. If not, give me a yell. Though I'm in the states, there would likely be a few organizations interested in saving your earl's traditional transport and providing a new one to the spec's of the old.

Thanks Par,

I'll keep everybody posted.

You're all brilliant.


Sonja

Please, please, keep it down Sonja, if my other half finds out, I will not hear the end of it for at least a year.

A recent post on "Rowing for Pleasure" mentioned a boatbuilder in Wexford named Alan Duggan who builds the Wexford Cot. It may be worth trying to track him down.

You could also contact the authors of the blogs "Rowing for Pleasure" and "In the Boatshed" as their readers may know of a builder willing to take the project on. http://www.rowingforpleasure.blogspot.com/
http://intheboatshed.net/

Kelvin

thanks again everyone,

I've passed the info of the scottish bloke onto the castle manager and I'll do some research on the wexford cot guy to pass on as well.

Apparently the boat is made of oak and LARCH and pitched with tar. Is larch a difficult thing to work with? Is this why he's had difficulty finding someone?

Sonja