Wooden boats new and old at Southampton
The wooden boat area at the Southampton International Boat Show in September proved a highlight of the event, with craft displayed by members of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association and others.
A centrepiece of the area was Jubilee, pictured above centre, one of only 17 Deben Cherubs designed and built by Woodbridge Boatyard on the Deben River in Suolk. She dates from 1935, the year of King George V’s silver jubilee, hence the name, which had added poignancy during the boat show week. Woodbridge Boatyard joined many exhibitors in marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II by flying Jubilee's flag at half mast (right).
Woodbridge is trialling a biocide-free antifoul on this and other boats it looks after, and Jubilee’s topsides are coated with organic linseed oil-based paint, tinted with natural pigment to a custom colour – aiming for an environmentally friendly and a low-maintenance way of coating the boat.
A century ago, a Deben Cherub would have cost £160. Today the yard has other Cherubs and similar dayboats and small cruisers, waiting for the right owner to instigate a revamp.
Another boat built by Woodbridge was being proudly displayed by owner Vicki, pictured below right, who commissioned her to the lines of a clinker dinghy that used to be built by Everson & Son, the famous yard from which Woodbridge grew. Vicki said: “To own a clinker dinghy like this is a childhood dream come true.”
Among other new wooden boats on show was the lug-rigged Mystery 14 (above right), which Nic Compton wrote about in our April issue. The boat is built by Colin Evans of Evans Boatwork in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Meanwhile the International Boat Building College in Lowestoft and the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis were both fielding enquiries from interested punters. IBTC Lowestoft put on a well-attended demonstration of how to steam-bend a piece of oak.
Boat Building Academy director Will Reed was showing o the first student-built boat at BBA that was also designed by a student (below left), as well as examples of what BBA students have made in the college’s short furniture-making courses.
The award-winning work of Star Yachts in Bristol is a Southampton Boat Show staple. Pictured below centre is yard owner Win Knoops with colleague Olly and the Bristol 6.0, an electric launch that we featured in our March issue.
Over on the marina, Spirit Yachts' all-electric Spirit 44CR and Spirit 30 were on display, easy to spot among the many GRP yachts on the pontoon. The 30ft (9.15m) Spirit 30 is the first Spirit hull to have flax lay-up and bio resin incorporated into its build, the hull constructed from responsibly sourced, FSC-certified sapele ringframes and Douglas fir planking. The boat has a Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 FP electric drive system powered by lithium ion batteries and a Torqeedo 650W battery charger, giving a range of around 16nm at five knots.
Older, and also attracting a steady stream of visitors, was the Nicholson 31, with the class association keen to celebrate 'the original bluewater cruiser', first built in 1976 by Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport.
Meanwhile the masts of the tall ship Morgenster (top left) towered over the show. Visitors could tour and book evening sails on the 157ft (48m) clipper brig, a sail training ship built in 1919.
Making its world premiere was the Dale Classic 37 motorboat, based on the widely respected Arthur Mursell semi-displacement Dale 40 design, this boat fitted with a wealth of modern features.