2024 News Archive
The craft of boat building
On March 2nd, twenty Solent Gaffers made their way through snow and sleet to a mostly sunny Lyme Regis for a fascinating guided tour of the Boat Building Academy (BBA) by its Director, Will Reed. After a short talk by Will describing the history and aims of the BBA, Gaffers were able to see both the beautiful things being made by students on the 12- week furniture making course and the four very different craft being constructed or restored by students on the 40-week boat building course. All very impressive.
If you fancy a go at something, as well the above, the BBA has a variety of short courses including introductions to woodworking and paddle making, sail making, boat repairs and restoration – and lots more. Take a look at https://boatbuildingacademy.com for some inspiration.
After our visit, hungry gaffers moved along the promenade to the Harbour Inn where they had an excellent lunch before heading for home. A great day out, and our thanks to Grant Morris for organising it.
| Gaffers 'landing' on the beaches of Bembridge |
From Sea Shanty Sing-Offs to BBQ bananas…. our Rally to Bembridge- July 2024
Over the weekend of 19-21 July some 14 gaffers headed over to the ever-popular harbour of Bembridge on the Isle of Wight for a rally organised by Maggie and Huw Hallybone.
Most boats arrived on a very warm Friday and after a pontoon party alongside the ‘High Barbaree Inn’, we were ferried across the harbour from the marina to the town with a D-Day style landing on the sand! There followed an evening of beer tasting hosted by The White Knuckle Brewery and a meal at The Pilot Boat Inn.
Saturday was little overcast, but that didn’t deter a few boats setting off for a short sail in company around the Nab Tower taking with them those who had arrived on their own or without a boat. So, it was a lovely opportunity for crews to experience different boat styles under sail.
We were then treated to afternoon tea with homemade delicious cakes hosted by Rosie and Mark Hickman at Mark’s amazing boatbuilding workshop at the head of the harbour. The fact that the workshop could fit all 40 of us into it easily gives you an idea of the sheer size of it and we were all very envious of his space and the amazing views over the harbour.
Saturday was rounded off with a cook your own BBQ in the evening which saw some interesting items being cooked including bananas! As the wine flowed and stories were shared, Liz Dodwell and her guitar brought out everyone’s singing talent for shanties galore, undeterred by another group of sailors who broke into song in a neighbouring marquee, seemingly in competition. We Gaffers showed ‘em!
Mark Hickman revealed a hidden talent for solo singing of beautiful sea songs that he had written and this seemed the perfect end to a wonderful weekend amongst friends.
Our gathering on the beautiful Beaulieu river by Ken Hickling
What a great weekend we have had with Solent Gaffers!
Originally, we planned to sail to Beaulieu but were hampered by the late arrival of a baby who was both the Grandson of my crew and my Great-nephew. So, we ended up driving down to Gins Barn - the Solent refuge of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club - on the Friday night, to ensure we wouldn’t miss out on the BBQ that we had signed up for. It turns out that driving there is much quicker than sailing, unless you are locals like ‘High Barbaree’ and ‘Meagan’ who drifted downriver on the tide to be part of our group for the weekend. The food was excellent and the company even better. Liz pretended to ask if we wanted a singalong after our supper, but clearly there wasn't an opt-out! So even an old curmudgeon like me found himself singing along with gusto to the Sloop John B and other familiar tunes, some with specially modified lyrics.
The following morning we headed a day late to the boat (moored at Marchwood YC) to make the voyage to RSYC, where the bosun - a super helpful chap called James - had a space on the pontoon waiting for us. For those like me, who learned to sail on rivers, sailing up the Beaulieu river, spotting birds and looking out for the seals, is a great joy and feels very natural. As for the previous evening, we assembled at 18:00 on the pontoon and were able to enjoy a few drinks together and the usual Gaffer discussions including “is there any more of that wine?”.
As a mainland destination, the Beaulieu River presents a great opportunity for smaller gaffers (dinghies and day-sailors) to join in the fun, arriving by trailer. So OGA event regulars were mixed in with smaller craft along with a certain amount of varnish appreciation (as always), and even some envy, as tales of excursions up the river to the village of Beaulieu and shallow waters were swapped over a sunset beer (or two). We also heard tales of sculpture on the far shore (https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/they-that-go-down-to-the-sea-in-ships-derek-frost) and the ‘Egg’ that it replaced.
If you haven’t been to the RSYC clubhouse at the end of Gin’s Lane, I can recommend it to you for an excellent sunset, a warm welcome from the team there, a good selection of beers and a good dinner too. I can’t speak too highly of their organisational skills for fear of correction from our own Secretary Grant Morris who, ably assisted by his wife Amanda, delivered a very enjoyable weekend – convivial, relaxing and free from extremes of weather (are you listening Yarmouth?). As members, we are always grateful for the work of the committee in putting these events together for us to look forward to, plan for and participate in. It is always good to meet other members, both old and new, and to swap tales of adversity and achievement.
As Sunday morning gathered momentum we all set out for home, earlier than we might have liked, in order to get on the right side of the Spring tide.
…Next Month: Lymington!