Build of the SEACREST - 2017

I February 2017 Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) celebrated the 375 year of Abel Tasman formal possession of the land that he named Van Dieman's land.

As part of the celebrations, the AWBF invited a group of dutch boat building students and their teacher to build a very special boat - the Bergumer Meer class 16 m2 sailing boat.
The AWBF made this project possible by seeking volunteers and sponsors for support.
The Wooden Boat Centre made workshop space available for the build. It was exciting for visitors to follow the build and great for the community.

Hydrowood Tasmania donated Celery Top pine for the build.
In 1986, The Reece Dam was constructed on the Pieman River creating the 50 km long Lake Pieman which drowned thousands of ancient trees. In 2015, after three years of planning, Hydrowood Tasmania found a way of harvesting these magnificent trees still standing at the bottom of the lake. From a barge, the harvester with a hydraulic arm, reaches down to a depth of 26 metres to hold and cut each tree with a chainsaw.

The donated log was taken to the local sawmill and cut into planks, shipped from the sawmill to Franklin where the students build 'SEACREST' in only 9 weeks, the last week working night shifts! SEACREST was launched and auctioned at the AWBF.

 

The launch of Franklin's new St Ayles Skiff

The Bittern's crew taking 'Freyja' for her first row.

The Bittern's crew taking 'Freyja' for her first row.

Franklin's third St Ayles Skiff, built at the Wooden Boat Centre in 2016 was launched yesterday.  The community celebrated the launch as part of the Swiftsure Regatta activities.  The vessel was named 'Freyja' to honour both her Scottish design heritage as well as being named after the Norse Goddess 'Freyja'.  The boat will be used regularly for community rowing for fun and fitness as well as for competition rowing in the International St Ayles Skiff regatta circuit. 

The Airport Biosecurity counter

Mike Johnson with the biosecurity bag search counter in the workshop in late July.

Mike Johnson with the biosecurity bag search counter in the workshop in late July.

The counter is a beamy clinker dinghy design, planked in King Billy Pine, with a Celery Top Pine laid deck for a counter top.  The fore deck is Tas Oak and provides a space for the Biosecurity dogs to sleep in between flights.  The counter will have a stainless steel plinth added to it to complete a counter to the correct work height for the Biosecurity staff when searching passengers bags on entry to Tasmania.  

The almost finished counter installed in the arrivals area of Hobart Airport.

The almost finished counter installed in the arrivals area of Hobart Airport.

The April Clinker Dinghy course

Students at the beginning of their 7 week course with instructors Pete Laidlaw and Mike Johnson

Students at the beginning of their 7 week course with instructors Pete Laidlaw and Mike Johnson

In April 5 students joined us to complete a Clinker Dinghy building course.  Students came from varied backgrounds. Wayne from Northern NSW who reconnected with his earlier industrial arts teaching skills; Max who had recently finished high school in country Victoria; Jay a Canadian backpacker looking for cool experiences; Ellie a British backpacker looking to extend her cabinet making skills; and Ray a psychologist from Melbourne.

Ray, Jay and Max who were instructed by Pete Laidlaw to build 'Jeanie', Max's rowing dinghy.

Ray, Jay and Max who were instructed by Pete Laidlaw to build 'Jeanie', Max's rowing dinghy.

Together the group built two clinker dinghies a rowing and sailing version. 

Mike Johnson with students Ellie and Wayne.  Wayne made the sailing version of the 11.4' dinghy to sell at the next Wooden Boat Festival.

Mike Johnson with students Ellie and Wayne.  Wayne made the sailing version of the 11.4' dinghy to sell at the next Wooden Boat Festival.