It may have been a long time coming, but after a number of false starts over the course of the past year or so we’re delighted to confirm that the Black Rocks Rowing Club boat build is finally getting back on track! We’ve hosted some formal build sessions over the past few weeks, and are hoping to get as many members as possible involved in the rewarding process of building our first boat.
Fancy getting involved? No previous experience is required, and even if you’d just like to pop in and see what we’re up to you’ll be most welcome. Likewise if you’re not a member but are intrigued by our build, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – it’s a great place to meet some of our members and hear about the club we’re trying to build!
The St Ayles Skiff is a so-called ‘clinker-built’ boat, which simply means that the hull is made up from a number of overlapping planks. Each plank was supplied in our build kit in three pieces, so one of our current tasks is to join them all together. In the video below, Chris explains how our scarphing jig is used to cut the joints at the correct angle. Don’t be put off by the use of machine tools, though – this is just one of a number of jobs needing done!
In the meantime, work is continuing on the boat’s ‘skeleton’, which is being assembled upside-down on the build frame. Here we see Joel and Martin working on the hog – a piece of timber that sits above the keel and forms part of the skiff’s backbone.
We’re delighted to welcome two new members to the build – Kate and Nils – who, on their first day helping out, managed to get the three sections of the first plank glued together. You can see it clamped down to the worktop in the picture below.
Hopefully this will be the first of many updates that will mark the steady progress of our build program. We are currently meeting on Wednesday evenings and Thursday afternoons, along with some additional ad-hoc sessions for those that can’t make those days – or are just really keen!
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch and we’ll be glad to provide further details.
Report written by Finlay Robertson
