THE LAST BOATYARD?
Records of shipbuilding in Newhaven date back to the 1700s. Over 200 years later Simon Thomas established the present day Lochin Marine in 1987 on the site of Lower & Sons who had been building wooden fishing boats there for the previous 40 years. To this day the yard maintains traditions, keeping alive skills & the craft of boatbuilding through sales & repairs commercially and the Sailhaven Project where you can volunteer to get involved!
My intention is to raise the profile of marine industries in Newhaven by sharing with the wider population a glimpse of what goes on behind often locked gates of a local functioning boatyard; to celebrate and preserve the phenomenal array of craftsmanship learnt & honed over many years.
From fibreglass to electrics, plumbing to electronics, mechanics, metalwork, woodwork & welding, varnishing, painting, and upholstery. To name but a few!
Described as a dying breed, shipwrights carried great histories through their hands, and continue to do so. I must acknowledge to have merely brushed the recent surface of one corner of Newhaven’s extraordinary marine legacy.
I must also ask WHERE IS THE YOUNG BLOOD?
It is my belief these yards hold huge value in the multitude of skills & nautical wisdom which is gained over time, with a particular importance socially; the boatyard is a place where largely men (admittedly but not exclusively) congregate, problem solve, skill share, drink tea, chat, & graft together. I can hear sniggering as any one of the highly skilled craftsmen I had the kind permission to photograph read this; yard humour is not to be overlooked as a form of adhesive coating to all scratches & dints. A unique & spirited place!
I had the good fortune to be employed by Simon having been taught brightwork by shipwright Tim Webster which brought me in touch with over 250 years of collective accrued knowledge held by craftsmen at the yard. This sustained me through lockdown and beyond. Lochin was the last boatyard I worked together with my Dad on his boat and holds a special place in connection with the male lineage of my family.
Made possible by the SCDA Making It Happen Small Sparks Fund. Special thanks to Simon Thomas, Tim Webster, Adrian Thompson, Dick Hall, Steve Perryman, Kate Daisy Grant, Vicki Ashley & Lucy Raynor, Diets Verschuren, Einat Chalmers & Mamoosh, Colourstream, Lizzie Lower, Luke Adams, Alan Burgess, Mark Burton, Viola Santa, Lesley Page & Mark Starr.
If you are interested in purchasing a print with a percentage going to Parkinson’s UK please get in touch annaweatherston@gmail.com
