Here’s a model of the skiff. We’ve borrowed this from Alec to show the primary school kids as they can’t come to the workshop – and we can’t take the skiff to school half built.
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Andres writes:As many of you have been in to help you will know that we have completed the hull, the outer stems have been laminated and the keel shaped. We are getting ready to glue the laminated outer stems and keel to the boat this week and we hope to start painting the hull on Monday 3 May. Steve has agreed to come in every day for a week in order to get 5 coats of paint on before we turn her over around the 10th May.We have made a good start on the oars, Steve has one almost ready, which we can use to make the next 5 oars (we are making 6 in case we snap a few on the first race).We are on target to attend the first regatta in Anstruther on Saturday 29 May.Here are some photos. There are some of the final plank and the completed hull:
Nick’s contraption to plane the botom of the boat to take the keel (its a 4′ plane with a massive and sharp blade attached to some gash timber and a level gaffer tapped on!) which has given a really good result:
The lamination of the outer stems:
And some photos from yesterday when we planed the squares for the oars (lovely quarter sawn, close grain, clear slow grown Douglas fir).
Some of the volunteers building the Portobello skiff:
You can too – contact us and join the fun!With all this help the boat comes together much faster, thanks folks – she’s looking good:
Now that Andres, the great instigator of this project, is back from holiday, work on the Portobello skiff has moved ahead.
Offering up the garboard (the lowest plank) to the hog (the solid timber along the centre line).
Getting it to fit just right.
Just checking.
Glueing’s been done, now the garboard is clamped into place while the glue sets.
And the second garboard in on.
Yes, it’s looking good. A few more planks to go.
Plank 3.
More planks.
Really looking like a boat!
If you’d like to help build the boat, come along! To find out when the building sessions are happening, sign up to the Row Porty discussion list to find out the details.
On Saturday several of us had our first visit to the Portobello boatbuilding workshop. It’s not nearly as grand as the Newhaven skiff building palace – but it’s local, dry and big enough.Nick and Andrew had already built the building frame and cut out all the parts of the kit.
We started fixing the moulds – over which the boat will be built – to the frame.
An hour later all the moulds were temporarily fixed – they still need to be carefully levelled and screwed. This picture was supposed to show all the moulds in place – but Andrew insisted on an action shot.
Down at the Beach House the Portobello boatbuilders and rowers got together for the first planning meeting. Lots of enthusiasm and commitment with actions agreed to ensure the project really takes off and involves people and groups across Portobello.The project will be officially launched in the New Year, but one thing’s clear now – we aim launch the first Portobello boat in April or May 2010.
Stan Reeves (left) suggests the Tollcross currach will beat our skiff when we race on the canal.
Stan Reeves from Tollcross joined us to tell us about the success of the Tollcross Boat Project which has built a currach – a traditional Irish boat. We haven’t even started building our boat, but we’ve already accepted a challenge to race against the Tollcross currach in June.
On a beautiful sunny day at the end of October a group of Portobello folk headed over to Anstruther for the launch of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project – and Chris O’Kinnaird, the prototype St Ayles Skiff. And we got to go rowing…
We also had some very good fish and chips.
The Times writes about the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project…
A sport that was once a familiar sight off the east of Scotland is to be revived as a way of introducing a new generation to sea-going boats.
RowPorty 