style | on the water Houseboats
A defi ning feature of Bembridge Harbour is the sweep of houseboats that line the roadside. It is a fascinating collection of traditional Popeye and Olive Oyl vessels, chic modern rebuilds and charmingly eccentric floating homes.
“A lot of them are ex-military boats and served as cheap housing after the war,” explains Jeremy Gully, who with his wife, artist Penelope Walford, live on Samphire, a stunningly stylish houseboat that they designed and built on an old barge.
“Penny and I didn’t want the traditional worries of a houseboat – damp, curved walls you can’t fi t furniture in – so we built this with all our living accommodation above water level.” With
its squared-off curved wooden roof, its split accommodation (Penny walks across a ‘lawn’ to her art studio) it’s a floating ‘Grand Design’ and, like many of its kindred, with its red cedar- clad cabin it is increasingly weathering into its environment.
It is a self-build dream to make a houseboat. “Whilst you need planning permission for change of use of land to site a residential houseboat, the houseboat itself is not covered by town and country planning issues, nor by building regs because it’s a chattel, a thing, not a piece of landed property,” says Jeremy. “So within reason you can let your fantasies run wild! “
Attrill’s Boatyard
When it came to the sticky problem of constructing Samphire’s roof, Jeremy and Penny needed the space and the skills that only a boatbuilder in a boatyard can offer. Having created and curved an oversized piece of plywood his plan was to build walls round it, like a chocolate box lid. “There was one moment when the structure was being hoisted and it broke – but Chris and Tony at Attrill’s are just so calm, because of all their experience, and it came right in the end.”
Chris and Tony Attrill grew up in the business, eventually taking over the yard from their father and uncle. When you fi nd Chris welding a length of aluminium, see photographs of wooden boats he has restored with epoxy, and hear him lovingly discuss the design of current and recent projects, you’re all too aware that unlike most professions, putting together a boat still requires multiple skills.
In the past the Attrills ran a little ferry, which as well as taking workers over to the boatyard took holidaymakers over to eat and drink on the Duver. “I was just a nipper and I used to ferry them across – but I was only supposed to take 12 and I couldn’t stop the whole coachload getting on!”
Tackt-Isle Adventures
Just a stride away, Ben Smith and his team at Tackt-Isle Adventures shows how boatyards can spread the love of all things watery in a new way. Tackt-Isle is a multi-activity centre devoted to making the most of the water – and indeed the land – surrounding Bembridge harbour.
“We started four years ago as a sailing school, for private lessons and muck-in sessions,” says Ben. “But when this boatyard became available we turned it into our HQ and used it for lots of activities both on water and land. Even if it’s blowing a hooley you can fi nd shelter. For beginner kayaking or paddle boarding you need calm waters: for more advanced tour and explorer groups we can offer proper sea kayaking.”
The location is perfect for the sailing sessions, kayaking and paddle boarding, while the undulating land of the Duver provides a beautiful area for cycling and for trying out those ultra cool vehicles, Segways and Airwheels.
Bembridge Harbour Food Festival
The lavish size of the Sailing Club makes it the ideal location for the inaugural Bembridge Harbour Food Festival. For the weekend of October 3rd and 4th, Bembridge celebrates its status as a food destination. After all there are more than 30 eateries in the area, says Sue McLagan of Bembridge Power Boats, who with Bembridge Business Association is organising the festival.
“Visitors can come to the Food Hub, right in front of the Sailing
Club, where there will be information about the sort of places they might want to try, There’ll be stalls, promotions and a stage kitchen for cooking demos.”
Restaurants taking part will be offering taster meals, and with the ingenious collaboration of Tackt-Isle, bikes will be for hire so that an Amsterdam-style food-crawl can take place. “In Amsterdam pubs sell platters for four with four quarter pints of beer. That means if you visit fi ve places you can reasonably eat and drink at fi ve places!”
For further information phone: 01983 872237
September/October 2015
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