Essequibo boat-building...
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Supplies of timber come mostly from loggers operating in the Pomeroon River area. Lumber prices are heavily influenced by weather patterns. During the dry periods when the shallowness of the Pomeroon River means that delivery times are extended, prices increase. He is unable to purchase lumber from the sawmillers as it is more expensive.
The building of a fishing vessel can take between six months and a year. Setting aside the length of time it takes to acquire lumber and to properly cure the lumber, the vessel must be fitted and ribbed before the fashioning of the interior begins. Delays are often occasioned by financial considerations. Investors are not always able to make the full amount of money available at the same time so that it is not uncommon for boats to be lying unfinished for many months. On the other hand smooth, unhindered builders can turn out two or even three vessels in a single year.
The demand for fishing vessels and the ensuing competition among boat builders has steadily pushed prices to the floor. Some of the builders have invested in timber grant concessions, thereby reducing the costs associated with purchasing lumber. To further add to their competitive advantage the more financially stable boat-building enterprises offer hire purchase terms to their clients. That is not a service that Byron can afford to offer.
One of the bigger challenges facing the industry is the scarcity of skilled labour. These days, Byron says, experienced contractors must undertake their own training in order to secure the skills that will enhance the efficiency of their operations. Skills apart, there are also challenges associated with the commitment of workers. “A worker may work for a week or two, disappear for a few weeks,” Byron says.
He has managed to create a limited interest in boat-building among his sons. The problem is that two of them prefer the adventure of the sea so that their availability to support him in the boat-building business is limited to periods when they are not out ‘on the water,’ fishing.
What Byron sees as Essequibo’s long-term dependence on the fishing industry necessitates, he says, the creation of a structured training regime in boat-building which he believes can be provided by the Essequibo Technical Institute. Making the point, perhaps, that his own days in the strenuous pursuit of boast-building might be numbered he is, he says, disposed to contributing still further to the fishing industry by helping to train the young men who must carry on the trade when he finally decides to call it a day.