The Beale Park Boat Show 2011

It is always a delight to visit the Boat Show at Beale Park.

Not only for it’s stunning setting on the River Thames in Berkshire but also for it’s emphasis on Wooden Boats and amateur boat building and restoration.

There is the refreshingly laid-back, informality to the show with none of the hustle and bustle of some of the larger more commercial shows.



And it is the perfect setting for all those societies which do such sterling work preserving all those lovely Thames River boats.











There were many others on display which have been lovingly maintained.

And restorations like this Scandinavian Storeboro Mahogany Motoroat which was bought for scrap, stored for twenty five years then rebuilt to the original specifications.

Beale Park is also the perfect place to show off the winners of “Water Craft” magazine’s competition for backyard boatbuilders. These are boats built by amateurs in their spare time purely for personal gratification. The entries to the competition can be any size or type of boat, as long as it is able to make it by river or road to the Show.

Boat Building Schools which specialise in teaching traditional skills were also represented.

Gail McGarva, a former student of the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis is seen here discussing the finer points of the ‘Lerret’, “Littlesea”.

The Lerret Heritage Project

In 2009 Gail won a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to build a ‘Lerret’, a fishing boat native to Lyme Bay.

Lerrets, designed to be launched and landed from the steep stony beaches of Lyme Bay and Chesil Beach were used mainly for mackerel fishing.

"The Oracle of Coracles", Peter Faulkner a leading specialist in cowhide craft demonstrated how it is still possible to get afloat using this most ancient of skills.


Flaxland were there to promote the use of and demonstrate how other natural materials such as flax have been used create fabric covered frame boats.

The irascible James Wharram and his partner Hanneke Boon brought the part finished 27' "Amatasi" to demonstrate philosophy behind Wharram Catamarans.

On this project they have been trying out the use of Soya based resin and sheathing matting made from bamboo.

Nick Smith (http://www.nicksmithboatbuilder.co.uk/) a professional boat builder specialises in building Classic Carvel and Clinker built boats.

The boats that he builds are craft similar to those he grew up using.

The Beale Park Boat Show was not without its fair share of craft stalls.

Illustrator, author and artist Claudia Myatt is herself a Wooden Boat enthusiast.

"Starfish Books" is Claudia’s outlet for her very individual nautical gifts and designs including cards, prints, gifts, nautical jewellery and her popular sailing books for children.

This is just a small selection of the attractions which were on display on the opening day.

View my Flipboard Magazine.