Weir Quay Boatyard - Local News

Weir Quay Boatyard Sponsors Schools Marine Challenge

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:28:04 +0000

Article:

The Schools Marine Challenge is an exciting project that introduces students to the world of Marine Engineering, whilst giving a great context for the delivery of technology-based subjects. This highly successful project has been running since 2002 and currently operates in the South West and South East.

Schools Marine Challenge

School teams link with local companies to design, build and race model boats with categories including boats powered by solar energy, electric motor and petrol engines. A point scoring system is based around the design of the hull and superstructure, the design of the power systems, teamwork and race day trials.

This is a fantastic and unique opportunity to enthuse pupils and introduce them into the Marine Engineering and Manufacturing sector through a well-resourced and exciting marine project.

Weir Quay Boatyard, recognising the impact of such a project on young people’s development, has teamed up with Tavistock College to offer guidance and support both financially and technically. John Pearce, a highly experienced mariner, is leading this project on behalf of the Boatyard and hopes that it will encourage local young people to appreciate the skills and opportunity that working in the marine industry can bring.

The project runs from November 08 to May 09 with the climax of the challenge in July with ‘Race Day’ and an awards ceremony.

To keep up date with the Schools Marine Challenge visit their website at www.schoolsmarine.com and our local news updates.

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ITV Westcountry News

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:25:37 +0100

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3 Painters in a Boatshed... Watching the River Flow was featured on ITV Westcountry News on Wedsnesday 4th September.

Rita Smith, one of the featured artists of the exhibition, and Mike Hooton, joint owner of Weir Quay Boatyard were both interviewed and many of the works could be seen with some of the scenery that inspired the artists.

If you would like to see the feature you can online for the next seven days at http://www.itvlocal.com/westcountry/news/

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Western Morning News - Saturday 30th August

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:57:16 +0100

Article:

Boatyard is Focus for River Paintings
by Bill Simpson

On viewing a bustling boatyard employing several skilled men, it’s natural to appreciate the hard labour required for each completed commission, gently slipping into the water when complete. It is busy, noisy and open to the elements and, while cold during the winter months, has a freshness about it during the summer from the river water all the men appreciate.

Not many people venture inside a boatyard; it’s a dusty and dirty place and quite dangerous for people not familiar with timber machinery.

There is also little to interest them, unless they are old seadogs themselves, keen to observe the next generation of yachts, mostly large timer-framed hulls reaching way beyond head height, almost identical to countless examples made all over the world.

But an ingenious idea to create an exhibition area in a yard is set to change all the preconceived ideas. Mike Hooton, of the Weir Quay Boatyard on the banks of the River Tamar at Bere Alston, has, in conjunction with Isabell Pierson of Artmill, organised an exhibition entitled Three Painters in a Boatshed… Watching the River Flow.

Gone are all the partly finished hulls in the Weir Quay Boatyard, a traditional workshop with 100 moorings at the midpoint of the tidal reaches on the Tamar, as the interior has been cleared to make a gallery for three established artists providing their own, individual ideas on the Tamar, its importance in the area and the industries it has nourished.

It is down to Ian Heard, Richard Allman and Rita Smith to provide us with the answers as each has provided between 12 and 15 original works inspired by their personal response to the river in all its guises. One image is of the cavernous sheds at Mashfords at Cremyll where the Brixham trawler Pilgrim and the Lynher, one of only two remaining barges, are being repaired.

It is also hoped this exhibition could help discover a mutually beneficial union between man and river – one consistent with current economic and cultural conditions.

During the Victorian era the River Tamar was busier than the Mersey, ferrying goods and passengers. For centuries this river supported communities on both banks, until the 1930s, when these small industries were deserted in favour of nearby towns.

Now the area is largely inaccessible, except to the abundant wildlife, an aspect which is portrayed in the exhibition, together with boatyard scenes.

Rita Smith was excited by the patterns and rhythms of the boats out of the water; the masts against the sky and river colours. She also found the textures of ropes and chains against the boats’ sides interesting, and the way the rigging draws abstract shapes against hills in the distance.

This exhibition is on for two weeks, until Saturday, September 13.

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Recall Notice - Important Safety Warning

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:27:46 +0100

Article:

Seago 150 and 175 Newton Lifejackets including Junior Lifejackets

Updated Safety Notice – Additional Information

We have become aware that some Seago 150 and 175 lifejackets including Junior lifejackets may have a defect which could result in serious injury.

This led to a number of lifejackets being recalled in May 2008

Seago Yachting is extending the recall of Seago 150 & 175 Newton and Junior lifejackets to include the manufacturing quarter of II/07. The lifejackets affected by both recalls all bear the following marks:

IV/05, I/06, II/06, III/06, IV/06, I/07 and II/07

The lifejackets are marked with the manufacturing date on the reverse of the white labels found sewn into the lifejacket below the inflation system.

If you own a Seago 150 or 175 Newton or Junior lifejacket then please check the manufacturing date as described above.

The lifejackets were sold in chandlery shops, marine retail outlets and marine websites throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

If you have an affected lifejacket then PLEASE STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY. Please remove the gas cylinder from the inflation system and return the lifejacket only to:

Seago Yachting Ltd, Mullany Business Park, Golden Cross, Hailsham

Sussex BN27 3RP. The jackets will be tested and serviced any faulty jackets will be replaced.

If you have any queries please contact Seago on 01825 873632.

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Boatshed painters watch the river flow - Tavistock Times article 07/08/08

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:59:31 +0100

Article:

By Jane Honey

STUNNING images of the Tamar Valley are to be displayed in a highly unusual setting in West Devon at the end of this month.
The exhibition is to be staged inside the workshed at Weir Quay Boatyard, to be cleared of boats, timber, paintpots, varnish and a lot of dust specially for the purpose.
The boatyard has been transformed during the last seven years by its present owner, Michael Hooton, and is now a profitable business employing seven local people.
The exhibition idea was sparked by the illustrated tide tables the boatyard has been producing since 2001.
The tables have featured work by Tavistock-based Ian Heard, Richard Allman and most recently by Tamar Valley artist Rita Smith.
The tide tables have now become a valued and distinctive booklet for the sailors and yachtsmen navigating the Tamar estuaries.
Michael said: ‘We believe this is the first time that the visual arts have been used to add brand value to a company in the marine industry and it’s certainly the first time in this country that the arts have been used to enhance the presentation of hydrographic information.
‘It may be that our example will be followed elsewhere and that increasingly, people will try to develop creative ways in which to present dull tables of figures.’
Michael said having given and received commissions from three Devon artists, it seemed appropriate to provide an opportunity for the boatyard customers, local mariners and the community at large to see more of their work.
The two-week exhibition is called ‘Watching the River Flow’.
Michael said: ‘The boatyard is making available its workshed for the purpose. At the moment it’s still full of boats, until a week before the exhibition, when we are taking them out and getting the vacuum cleaners into the workshed, putting up panels for the paintings and lighting.
‘The artists have been asked to provide between 12 and 15 paintings about the river, so there will be a total of about 40 original works.
‘September is the only month of the year when it is commercially possible for the boatyard to clear its shed in this way — there is a brief pause in the time-table between completing the servicing and re-fit work on local yachts and hauling out the boats again for the winter lay-up from October.
‘The timing also coincides with the open studios programme of the ‘Drawn to the Valley’ artists, to which all three exhibiting artists belong.’
The exhibition will enable the artists to work at the boatyard during the exhibition and introduce visitors and members of the viewing public to their work and how it is produced.
Michael said ‘Watching the River Flow’ was part of the boatyard’s continued drive to revitalise the historic Tamar Valley.
‘The Tamar was one of the busiest rivers in the country in the middle of the 19th century — it was busier than the Mersey,’ he said.
‘Anything we can do to start bringing a bit more life and regeneration to the river is a good thing, otherwise it will ultimately just silt up.’
‘Watching the River Flow’ at Weir Quay Boatyard runs from Saturday August 30 to Friday September 12, between 10am and 6pm daily.

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Weir Quay in August's Yachting Monthly

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:28:40 +0100

Article:

With Solent boatyard bills soaring, YM's production editor Kieran Flatt explains in Sea change (p58) why, over the years, he's downsized from posh marina to swinging mooring. This year, he reckons he'll save another £1,000 by moving his yacht 170 miles west from Portsmouth to the rural idyll of Weir Quay, on the River Tamar.

Here, his boat will serve as a country cottage for weekend getaways. As an extra bonus, Kieran is looking forward to exploring a whole new cruising ground on his doorstep. Every sailing trip will feel like a 'proper holiday' he says.

Of course, there are drawbacks, as well as plus points. It's a long drive to Plymouth and he can't just pop down to check the boat before a gale warning. But making savings demands sacrifices. Sailing, after all, is a luxury. But we mustn't get trapped into feeling guilty at enjoying the Great Escape - casting off to leave behind our land-bound woes.

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3 Painters in a Boatshed...Watching the River Flow

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:01:30 +0100

Article:

Exhibition of Paintings about the Tamar River

Saturday 30th August - Friday 12th September
10am - 6pm daily

Private View Friday 29th August 6pm - 8pm

Having given and received commissions from 3 separate regional artists with very different individual styles for our tide tables, it seemed appropriate to provide an opportunity for the WQB customers, local mariners and the community at large to see more of their work. Accordingly, we have invited the Tide Table artists to produce marine work and specifically work on and around the Tamar River for a 2-week exhibition at the Boatyard entitled ‘Watching the River Flow’.

IAN HEARD (WQB 2007)

Nature or nurture – it’s in his bones. The family boatyard in Cornwall has infused Ian’s career as a marine illustrator. After 12 years with Yachting Monthly, he moved his design enterprise to Tavistock and is now best-known for his delightful book, Classic Boats of the West Country

RICHARD ALLMAN (WQB 2008)

Richard is a master draughtsman who has chronicled the changing faces of the City of Plymouth for 30 years. For this project he has worked outside, exploring looser themes and styles inspired by structures, boats and riverscapes between the Brunel Bridge and Morwellham Quay

RITA SMITH (WQB 2009)

Trained at Camberwell and the Slade, Rita has lived and worked around the Tamar for 20 years. The rhythms and shapes of boats out of the water and the elegant lines and patterns of masts and rigging against the Tamar hills and skies have proved endlessly fascinating and challenging.

For more information on the exhibition and the artists please go to our new webpages Art at Weir Quay.

Safety Warning

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:47:56 +0100

Article:

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING

Seago 150 and 175 Newton Lifejackets including Junior Lifejackets

Seago Yachting have become aware that some Seago 150 and 175 Newton Lifejackets including Junior Lifejackets may have a defect which could result in serious injury.

The lifejackets are marked with a manufacture date in roman numerals, for instance the last quarter of 2005 is shown IV/05. The quarters concerned are:

IV/05

I/06

II/06

III/06

IV/06

I/07

If you own a Seago 150 or 175 Newton Lifejacket including Junior Lifejackets then please check the manufacture date. The lifejackets in question were sold in chandlery shops, marine retail outlets and marine web sites thoughout the United Kingdom.

If you have an affected lifejacket then PLEASE STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY. Please remove the gas cyclinder manually from the inflation system and return the lifejacket only to Seago Yachting Ltd, Mullany Business Park, Golden Cross, Hailsham, East Sussex. BN27 3RP with your full contact details. A replacement lifejacket will be issued.

If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact Seago Yachting Ltd on 01825 873632

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Rowan IV Renamed and Launched

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:58:28 +0100

Article:

A 70-year-old gaff cutter that has had a major refit was blessed and renamed at Weir Quay Boatyard last Friday. The boat was built as Rowan IV on the Clyde in 1938 for a Glasgow surgeon, Dr RB Carslaw, who kept her all his life. She is now owned by retired veterinary surgeon Nelson Bowden, of Bere Ferrers.

She was featured in Dr Carslaw’s book, Leaves from Rowan’s Logs: Cruising the Western Isles and West Coast, and is a Loch Fyne skiff fitted out as a private yacht. She is mahogany-planked, splined above the waterline, on heavy oak frames iwth a teak dog house and superstructure.

The local rector, the Rev Nick Law, performed the blessing on the boat, which was dressed overall, and she was then renamed Darcy Patricia by Mr Bowden’s daughter in the presence of approximately 50 of the owner’s friends and family. She was later launched.

After being bought by Mr Bowden, the boat was out of the water for more than two years. The hull required major repairs, including work on the seams, the stern post was replaced in solid oak and the base of the mast needed major work due to rot. Instrumentation has been replaced and a new rig designed by Ed Burnett, of Totnes, to improve her performance and balance. New sails were also made. Mr Bowden has tackled some maintenance himself but said he had ‘gone out of his way’ to find and use local talent and skills in her restoration and refurbishment. ‘She is a credit to those skills and hopefully is good for at least another 70 years,’ he said.

Mr Bowden has photos of the original launch in 1938 and of Dr Carslaw and his wife, children and dogs on board. The relaunch was followed by a celebration gathering at the Olde Plough in Bere Ferrers.

The boat will take part in the Classic Boat Rally in Plymouth in August, crewed by Mr Bowden and his two brothers, and they will then head west to similar events at Fowey and Falmouth.

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New Calstock Exhibition

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:17:01 +0100

Article:

A new permanent photography exhibition will be displayed in Calstock Village Hall on the 19th April 2008. This exhibition features work by Malcolm Baldwin, the photographs showing everyday life in Calstock throughout the 1980's. This is a fascinating project and well worth a look.

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Calstock Festival

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:48:48 +0100

Article:
This year’s Calstock Festival runs from 22 to 25 May. There will be a variety of entertainments, to attract both adults and children. A selection of the highlights on offer are:

Middle Eastern Night on Sunday 25 May in Calstock Village Hall, with food, music, drumming, belly dancing and fire eating!
Rattlebox Theatre on the afternoon of Saturday 24 May in Peterloo Poets Hall, with puppets, stories and hot chocolate!
Luminous Lantern making on the afternoon of Sunday 25 May in the Village Hall

For more information on the Festival events visit the Calstock Village Hall website on www.calstockhall.org

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100 Years of Calstock Viaduct

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:33:39 +0000

Article:

100 Years of Calstock Viaduct and the Bere Alston - Gunnislake railway

23 February - 3 March 2008

The spectacular Calstock Viaduct and the highly scenic section of the Tamar Valley Line between Bere Alston and Gunnislake are celebrating their centenaries in 2007 and 2008.

Between 23 February and 3 March 2008, a whole series of events has been organised to celebrate 100 years of trains between Bere Alston, Calstock and Gunnislake and to mark the Centenary of the Callington branch line.

The Centenary itself, 2 March, will see a host of events with ceremonies at all three stations.

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No trains on the Gunnislake line

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:51:37 +0100

Article:
No Trains on the Gunnislake Line Great Western Railways are undertaking their bi annual maintenance work on the line from Plymouth to Gunnislake on Monday 8th October to Friday the 12th October inclusive. There is a bus service that replaces the trains for these days but the times are not as per the rail timetable so please ring 08457 484950 before you travel.

Customer of WQB comes 2nd in photographic competition

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:58:46 +0100

Article:

Mel Fine, owner of Lysander (the pretty clinker built river boat that is for sale at the yard), has recently come 2nd in the Tamar Valley Services Photographic Competition for 2007 - Moods of the Tamar. The photo as many of you will probably notice was taken at the yard and we're pleased that our workspace can once again give people the opportunity to show their artistic side. We want to include her photo around our website as we all agree that it does indeed reflect the 'Moods of the Tamar' wonderfully.

Stromboli destroys Weir Quay flag

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:21:45 +0100

Article:

It is clear that after a two year voyage to the Carribean and back that the Weir Quay flag which accompanied Stromboli is ready for retirement. The amount of flying the WQB flag has had to do has resulted in it looking fairly sorry for its self.

We weren't aware of this until the Chadwick's came in with a package for Mike. They went on to say that they would give us something, but they wanted something in return. This phrase always worries Mike so he continued to open the package to find out what was expected. To his delight they had framed the WQB flag from the voyage and in return they wanted a new one. The deal was done and the retired flag is soon to be displayed in the office at WQB.