A stunning collection of wooden boats has made an impressive spectacle on the Beaulieu River. The classic vessels not only made a beautiful sight but also marked a celebration of traditional boatbuilding and seamanship skills.
Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour was proud to welcome their recent rally. Each of the boats has a unique story to tell and showcases the outstanding craftsmanship needed to build and maintain them.
Historic wooden boat RMMV Athlone Castle is also in the yacht harbour’s new boatshed workshop over the winter, for a restoration by Classic Shipwright Services. She is the last known wooden survivor of the Union Castle Line and traditional shipwright methods are being used to get her back to sea.
The timeless, enduring appeal of wooden boats and traditional boatbuilding have a special home on the Beaulieu River, where ships for the Royal Navy were built at riverside Buckler’s Hard from 1745 to 1814. As many as 50 ships were built in the maritime village, mostly under the command of Master shipwright Henry Adams, including HMS Agamemnon, Swiftsure, Euryalas and Spencer.
That heritage is now being kept alive by Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust. The charity is working to educate followers about the art and craft of wooden shipbuilding, its history and traditional skills through research, demonstrations, displays and the preservation of historic slipways.
Wooden boatbuilding represents the very best of craftsmanship, where traditional techniques meet modern thinking, and every build is a reflection of skill, care and experience. It is a discipline which connects people to the water in a uniquely authentic way.
Showcases of wooden boats afloat, such as the rally in September, help to reach new audiences and continue the momentum of wooden boatbuilding for the future.
To arrange your rally on the Beaulieu River or make a booking for the boatshed workshop, call the yacht harbour team on 01590 616200 or email harbour.office@beaulieu.co.uk.
@2x.png)
