It’s been a productive summer for our team of enthusiastic boatbuilders, and our St Ayles Skiff build has been progressing at a steady pace. Following the turnover of the hull back in April, work has focused on ‘fitting out’ the inside of the boat.
Once the build moulds were removed, a substantial amount of cleanup was required to remove the excess glue that had run down the inside of the boat during the planking. This involved a lot of laborious work with heat guns, scrapers, and good old sandpaper! In the meantime, the gunwales and breasthooks that reinforce the top edge of the uppermost plank were fabricated under the skilled auspices of out boatbuilder-in-chief, Jim. Next, the seats for the four rowers (known as ‘thwarts’ or, in the Shetlandish tradition from which this boat design descends, ‘tafts’) were installed. At this stage, the inside of the boat really looks to be nearing completion, and it won’t be long before we begin reaching for our paintbrushes!
This project has proven to be a huge undertaking, and I don’t think any of us expected our St Ayles Skiff build to take as long as it has. It’s exciting to see that we really are getting onto the home stretch now. We’re always open to welcoming new members, so whether your interest is in boatbuilding, rowing, or even the social aspects of membership, please do get in touch! You can contact us here, or find out more about the sport of costal rowing at https://scottishcoastalrowing.org/
Article written by Finlay Robertson
