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John
M. MacAulay - Flodabay, - Isle of Harris. - HS3
3HA.
Tel:01859 530340
Builder
of the Hebridean`Birlinn` model
`COASTAL
AND ISLAND BOATS`
The
following is an article written by John MacAulay
Conservation
measures also restrict, and rightly so, the availability of
timber in certain areas. So regardless of where the craftsman
is situated, it is almost inevitable that the raw material
has to be hauled from further afield. The other artisans involved
- the blacksmith, chandler. rope and sailmaker - who were the
core of every seafaring community have vanished or else relocated
to serve the yachting fraternity in modern marina developments.
Amazingly, the complex logistics of the boat-building world
do not appear to deter the traditional shipwright, and today
we can find craftsmen operating in extremely remote locations
on the north and west coasts. and in the islands, producing
excellent boats which command acclaim at boat shows and maritime
festivals, in spite of serious competition from modern builders.
Most of them exist for the sheer joy of exercising their craft,
rather than to meet market demands, and to develop that special
relationship which grows around each boat from the very first
day that building commences. This personal identification cannot
be equalled by factory production methods and man-made materials.
The
majority of boat builders specialise in a specific type of
boat. usually relevant to the area or island group where they
live and work. This reflects the traditions of each particular
location where boat designs evolved to suit immediate needs:
boats for fishing, transport, coastal work and for the open
ocean These are boats which can be recognised anywhere because
of specific design characteristics, and which immediately prtray
the peculiar attributes of a certain craftsman. Conversely,
the modern fishing boat-builder is constrained by circumstances
to design and build boats to meet stringent safety rules and
regulations, rather than to harmonise the natural laws of hydrodynamics.
the elements and natural ....
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drawing of 19ft sailing boat
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