We tried to imagine our ideal boatyard...
"We wanted to know that there would be other people around doing much the same as we are and that we could chat to them but we didn't have to; we also wanted to sit on our mooring as just us."
Busy in recession and swan-song for a fine craftsmen
Just 3 miles north of the Tamar Bridge on the Devon bank is a thriving traditional boatyard, experiencing its busiest season ever despite the general gloom of a national economic depression. Weir Quay Boatyard is situated in one of the most peaceful and beautiful locations anywhere in the region – a forgotten corner of Devon with a natural environment protected by every level of national and international designations.
The Boatyard, which has 100 deepwater moorings on the River Tamar, offers year-round servicing, maintenance, repairs and re-fits to its customers. “We are always busy at this time of year getting all the boats ready for re-launching”, said Mike Hooton the proprietor, “but this year we have hired more marine tradesmen than ever before and created new permanent jobs because the demand for our services just keeps growing stronger.”
The Yard has skills in the latest GRP fabrication and in steel, but its special strength is in traditional and classic timber yachts. This last winter it has carried out 2 major re-fits of yachts built in the 1950s and current projects include re-furbishing 4 wooden sailing boats, the oldest built in 1934 of pitch pine.
The Yard employs 2 shipwrights, Saul Thomas and Adam Hocking, who have been trained in timber boat construction and repair. But the longest serving craftsman is ships joiner, Arthur Beacham.
Well past retirement age, Arthur is a tradesman of the old school – using traditional tools and imperial measures. He doesn’t rely on modern glues and finishes to make a job look good. It looks good because the job is done right, everything is cut exactly and the joints are made to fit. Arthur never refers to drawings; once he has been told what is needed, he works everything out in his head as the job progresses. He doesn’t miss a trick. “If I do a job” says Arthur, “it wont need to be done again in our lifetime”.
Last Thursday saw the launch of Torana, a 36’ motor yacht built by the famous Percy Mitchell Yard in Mevagissey. Since Christmas, Arthur has completely gutted the cockpit of the boat and rebuilt everything aft of the wheel-house including new storage lockers, folding seats, teak-laid decks, stainless fuel tanks, teak bathing platforms and all new deck fittings in bronze. Torana will return to Weir Quay Boatyard next winter for Arthur to continue the re-fit in the saloon and interior. “When she’s finished”, said Mike Hooton, “Torana will be a masterpiece of a little ship and a fitting tribute to Arthur’s skill.”
The owners of Torana, John and Rose Bunnell of East Portlemouth, and most of the Weir Quay team, turned out on Thursday to witness the launch and to inspect the expert work of a remarkable craftsman from a time now past.