b'with one main timber species to give an even colour and appearance, keeping the eye on the lines of the boat and not confusing the view with patterns of contrasting wood.Modern woodworking machinery can create a very uniform appearance as they produce standardised mouldings and details. However, I am not a Luddite and machinery must be used to perform the basic tasks, leaving the craftsmans hand and eye to create the final result.We do not work as a production facility: almost every job is different and our work embraces many different types of boats spanning a time line from the 1880s to the present day. Usually we are working within our comfort zone of the Thames tradition but we do also branch out into other interesting and beautiful craft. Rebuilding and restoring old boats provides a great archive for building new wooden boats. While there are some modern products and materials that can be used successfully in wooden boatbuilding, we work with the same basic material that has been used since time immemorialtimber. To cast aside the techniques and methods evolved by highly skilled and experienced craftsmen from the past would be foolish. If we are to build an Edwardian-style cabin the choice of timber, the setting out of the joinery and the proportion of the design must be correct and faithful to the era. However, the idea that because it is old it must be good can present a risk of replicating design faults or weak construction. Understanding how timber behaves or how a boat can deteriorate by ignoring the fundamental requirements of a timber structure divides a good boat from a bad one.108'