The Boat that Guy Built

The Boat that Guy Built

by | May 14, 2018 | Boat Kit

After two years, “Fish” is row-able.

I started the build in March 2016 and worked very part time on it mainly weekends and the odd evening, but in fits and starts with a four month break over the cold/damp winter months 2017/18.

The Drake 19 was picked mainly for its looks and fine lines, and because it can be rowed as a single or double sculling boat.

Designed by Clint Chase from Maine, USA and cut by Alec Jordan of Jordan boats, the Drake 19 looks less traditional than most of the normal UK kit skiff boat designs and to date is only the second or third to be built in the UK.

Clint is in the process of updating his Drake 19 Manual based on learnings from existing builds – which will make the kit build easier and more clever than ever (ready mid summer 2018)

Cut using quality marine ply, and assembled on a MDF jig, the boat is effectively a large Airfix model.

 

I was always bad at Airfix, and following instructions has always been secondary to making things work for me, so this was always going to be a challenge! It’s fair to say that did actually take some time trying to understand the instructions and if I were to build another, I would do things slightly differently, mainly not epoxying the inner hull planks as I went along and being more cautions of the drips inside the up-turned hull.

I’ve had the boat checked over by Mark Edwards of Richmond Boat House, (main builder of The Royal Barge Glorianna) and it’s been declared sea-worthy and insurable!

To the purist, there would be too many epoxy dribbles and not so great workmanship, and so long as she does not fall apart on me, she will get used more than many, I hope.

Anyone who stumbles across this article, and would like any help before deciding to self-build is very welcome to contact me via the contact page on this site.

Guy Fisher – May 2018

Thames River Clean Up 2018

Thames River Clean Up 2018

by | May 8, 2018 | Thames River Clean Up

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The 2018 River Clean Up Sonning to Shiplake Saw Records Tumble!

  •  45 Amazing Volunteers,  with 20 local children.  Groups helping included Shiplake College pupils and staff, Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club and the Shiplake Outloars. 
  • 18 Small Boats
  • About 30 bags of rubbish and other bulky items
  • 25 + Degrees weather

This year the River Clean Up – Sonning to Shiplake saw a record turnout of volunteers and a massive haul of rubbish from the river banks. 

With a fleet of eighteen small boats, over thirty bags of rubbish were filled and put in the EA refuse barge by Shiplake Lock. 

Joined by enthusiastic local families and individuals with a love of the river, the volunteers worked hard in the boiling hot weather. 

This year, in addition to local residents, some pupils and staff from Shiplake College helped join the effort and the College lent their lawn again for the logistics and rubbish gathering.

The 2018 River Clean Up found (apart from some of the usual un-mentionable things) a ring still in its box! 

We noticed that plastic bags have reduced significantly, so we can only assume that the new legislation is beginning to work. Hopefully the government will usher in more quickly the banning of plastic bottles and plastic food packaging (which sinks to the river bed).

Organiser, Guy Fisher said: “Thanks so much to everyone who came to help this year. I’ll definitely plan another in 2019 and I urge other river lovers to organise clean up’s along their stretch of the river.“

Outloars – Gary, Lee, Doug unable to make the first weekend and Stuart Milne (the latter for a consecutive week) kindly finished off the reach the week after.

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/river/125443/volunteers-clear-river-of-rubbish.html

https://www.henleyherald.com/2018/05/11/river-clean-up-sonning-to-shiplake-saw-records-tmble/

 

GALLERY