Whitstable has a maritime heritage that includes the former boatyards of Island Wall. Today the craft skills required in creating a wooden craft that is both functional and pleasant on the eye, are at risk. Join us on 9 August, 2025 when expert craftsmen and women from across the South-East will be sharing their love of working with natural materials and designing beautiful boats using traditional tools. They are keen to share their expertise and help if you have always wanted to build your own boat but lacked the skills; or wish to enter the industry. Or, you just wish to admire the craftsmanship and listen to the stories and poems of the sea. The Centre is sponsored by Brett Aggregates and is one of the features at the 2025 Whitstable Harbour & Boat Show, click on the logo for more details . . .
The sight and sound of Oyster Yawls being built on Island Wall is fast fading from the collective memory. Yet today in Whitstable Harbour you can see local Volunteers restoring a 42-foot Yawl built in 1906 and now registered as a National Historic Ship. Marine Surveyors predict that this iconic vessel will have a second working life of 60 to 80 years because of the high quality of workmanship.
Read the full story here . . .
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