Colin Henwood, wooden boat builder and early exhibitor, on how, like Old Father Thames, the 'Trad' maintains momentum.
Colin Henwood, Chairman of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association, looks forward to meeting enthusiasts at the Windermere Jetty Museum.
This year, the raiders returned to the River Blackwater on the UK's East Coast, much to the satisfaction of the crew of Kite.
Decisions, decisions, decisions: I reflect on my approach to wooden boat restoration.
Each stage of finishing a boat seems to demand more skill than the last and aesthetically, the final stage can be most important of all. That's the stage to call on the art of the signwriter.
Each stage of finishing a boat seems to demand more skill than the last and aesthetically, the final stage can be most important of all. That's the stage to call on the art of the signwriter.
Colin Henwood, Chair of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Association, helps assess the viability of traditional boatbuilding in the UK.
As well as restoring and rebuilding traditional wooden boats, master boatbuilder Colin Henwood also makes handmade ash paddles – for canoeists and boat owners who appreciate craftsmanship and treasure owning and using a paddle made by hand and eye.
“Ash is a wonderful timber for paddles, for a hard wood it is relatively lightweight, has a flexibility that gives the paddle a certain ‘tone’ and the grain patterns and colours are beautiful. More than anything else Ash is a sustainable timber and locally grown, so minimising ‘timber miles’. My paddles are made with great attention to detail. The design style is the traditional beaver-tail - perfect for day-long, smooth water paddling. The blades are hollowed out on either side of a central spine to reduce the weight; the shaft is elegantly shaped from a comfortable lower grip to the top handle, which gives a slight counter-balance to the blade and is carved with a distinctive center spine. The wide handle also has a gentle edge detail and fits the hand beautifully.
Caring for your handmade paddle is part of the joy of ownership. The paddles are finished with a Danish Oil coating that protects the timber well, gives a pleasing finish and only requires an additional coat every few years.
To protect your paddle when not in use I recommend a handmade paddle bag made from cream cotton denim with wooden toggles made from local timber.
There are three sizes of paddle, one of which comes in two widths of blade. For the canoeist, as a rough guide, the handle of your paddle should reach chin height.”
Colin Henwood
Prices |
|
| Number 1 56 1/2 inch (1435 mm) | £258.00 |
| Number 2 60 5/8 inch (1540 mm) | Standard blade £277.00 |
| Number 2 60 5/8 inch (1540 mm) | Wide blade £285.00 |
| Number 3 64 3/4 inch (1645 mm) | £312.00 |
| Canvas Paddle bag | £45.00 |
| Paddle care kit | £8.50 |
