Disappearing Lines DT Trip

Four Design and Technology students enjoyed a trip to the historic dockyard on Monday to try their hands at some traditional boat building techniques.

The short course was run by Gail McGarva a well-respected craftsperson who has been awarded a British Empire Medal for her work in Clinker boat building and heritage crafts.

The course started with some information on Disappearing Lines Gail’s current tour to generate some interest and awareness in some of the crafts that are beginning to die out.

The boys then were able to start constructing their boats using steam bent oak strips. Due to the temperature and the techniques the strips were only pliable for around a minute before the temperature dropped and they started to retain the previous properties.

These strips were clamped in place and tied off. These were left to set, so that when they came to be secured they retained the shape of the boat carcass they were aiming to make. The strips were set over lunch.

The next stage was to drill and cold copper rivet the parts of the boat’s skeleton together. Working in pairs the boys steadily worked through the process each riveting around thirteen rivets. The ribs were secured whilst trying to keep them parallel to the spine of the ship.

The final stage, was to design the overall look of the ship skeleton. The boys were able to decide and cut the bow, stern and ribs away to their designated shape. As will be seen in the included photos.

Overall it was a very informative day, the students thoroughly enjoyed the activities and found it very inspiring to see people still fighting to keep traditional heritage crafts alive.