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Read more about the article Sea Trials

Sea Trials

Yes, that’s our skiff … and yes, it’s in the water! In preparation for an official launch in Burntisland on Sunday 26th May, we undertook a set of ‘sea trials’ at Kinghorn Loch. On the 5th May, four years after COVID forced us to postpone our build, we were able to enjoy the sight of our boat in her element.

The day started off with a gathering of members and helpers at the workshop. Have you ever tried to get a 22-foot boat through a door before? Us neither.  But after a bit of jostling we managed to get her manoeuvred out and sat upon her road trailer. 

Our departure from the workshop highlights the great debt of thanks we owe to Irene, a Burntisland resident who gracefully offered us a rent-free boatbuilding space when we began our enterprise four years ago. Somehow she never tired of our presence as we navigated our way through lockdowns, delays and setbacks.

The privilege of imparting the traditional sprinkling of whisky went to one of the younger associates of the club!

The skiff’s first crew – comprising Chris, Finlay, Lily, both Martins, Joel, Aidan and Elisa – proceeded to take her for a test drive. She’s proven an absolute delight to row, and a handful of minor teething issues will be rectified in the coming days.

With the successful completion of trials, our skiff is ready to be moved to her permanent berth at Burntisland Sailing Club. We’ll launch on 26th May at 2pm from the slipway by the Beacons Leisure Centre. Feel free to come by for a look and a chat if you think rowing might be for you!

Report by Finlay Robertson

Read more about the article Floating Dock

Floating Dock

With our St Ayles Skiff build rapidly nearing its conclusion, now is a good time to begin sharing details of the work we’ve been doing to develop the infrastructure that will actually allow us to get onto the water. We do have access to a public slipway in Burntisland. Unfortunately, it’s only of practical use for launch and recovery of boats when the tide is in. This introduces a limitation that we’re keen to overcome. Through BRRC’s association with Burntisland Sailing Club, we’ve secured the use of one of their pontoons in the East Dock. This will allow us access at all states of tide.

Have you been following the progress of our St Ayles Skiff build? If so, you’ll know the boat is constructed largely from marine-grade plywood. Although this is a resilient material, it does have a habit of soaking up water over time in boats kept permanently afloat. It doesn’t necessarily cause any physical harm, but it does make the boat heavier. This is not something that’s desirable in a vessel we may wish to race! 

The compromise is a floating dock, seen here under construction and in its final position on the sailing club pontoons. It’s been designed to our own specifications and will allow us to keep the boat on a pontoon finger but elevated out of the water. Rollers along the centre will allow us to slide the boat in and out of the water with ease … at least in theory!

Be sure to keep an eye out for club news, either here or on our Facebook page. With our St Ayles Skiff build almost complete, we’re beginning to make preparations for the formal boat launch. We’ll publicise this far and wide as soon as we confirm a date!

Report by Finlay Robertson

Read more about the article 2023 Annual General Meeting

2023 Annual General Meeting

This past year has simply been about completing and equipping the boat. It is not yet complete but, other than a few more coats of paint and some fittings we are nearly there. Without the dedication of a few key members, and some external help, we would not be at this position.  We are very grateful for all the help.

2024 must be about raising our profile, launching the boat and increasing our profile. We have secured a berth at Burntisland Sailing Club and we owe a significant debt of gratitude to their members for supporting us in many ways and we hope they will continue to do so.

I hope we can now look to increase the membership and that is something we can all do.  I also hope we can get new people involved in the running of the club and perhaps take on some of the office bearing roles;  I think we need a new skill set to move the club on from the fund raising and build phase to establishing a club with strong member support.

 

We managed to hold a barbeque at the Cromwell Kitchen in the summer and other than a couple of other low-key gatherings at Glassliehead Farm this was really the only organised social event we managed to hold.  I very much hope that the members can take this challenge up and develop the social side of the club going forward.

So, whether you have helped in the build or not, what we need now is a collective effort to establish BRRC as a growing and inclusive club.

I look forward to seeing that develop.

Chair’s report by Martin Birrell

Read more about the article Fitting Out

Fitting Out

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