Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association at the Southampton Boat Show
by Colin Evans on 1 Jul 2009
Wooden Boat display - Earls Court Boat Show. SW
Wood is Wonderful……say the craftsman of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association and to prove it, they are exhibiting on Stands B022 to B030 at the Southampton Boat Show.
Wood is wonderful as a boatbuilding material because it allows ‘one-off’ boats to be hand-crafted and customised to the individual owner’s specific needs, yet they need not be more expensive than run-of-the-mill GRP craft. Wooden boats are wonderful because they are ‘proper’ boats; they feel right to the touch and traditionally built using time-proven methods, they look like boats ought to look.
Wooden boats are about pride of ownership in a mass-produced world. Modern wooden boatbuilding techniques produce boats that require as little or less upkeep as plastic production craft…. yet they look gorgeous, are environmentally friendly and have a smaller carbon footprint! And wooden boats lend themselves to being repaired and restored, making them last for generations.
Ten individual wooden boats, some traditional, some modern, will be exhibited by seven member companies of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association. Founded 20 years ago, the WBTA – www.wbta.co.uk – exists to promote best practice in wooden boat construction and design and encourage green practises in the choice and use of materials. WBTA members come from all round Britain and overseas and each has to prove their skills to their fellow craftsmen to be accepted for membership. Contact details of all members and further information about wooden boats will be available at the show.
The companies and boats featured on Stands B022 to B030 this year will be:
Lakeland Wooden Boats: Mallard sailing dinghy & Cape Cod angling launch
North Quay Marine: NQ19 daysailer & NQ12 sailing dinghy
The Slipway Cooperative: Pilot Gig
Swallow Boats: BayRaider dayboat & BayCruiser 20 pocket cruising yacht
Willow Bay Boats: Shilling – Open 17 version
Jamie Clay: Clinker double-ender
Adrian Donovan: Whitehall Skiff
WBTA – www.wbta.co.uk
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