WOMEN BOATBUILDERS Left: Millie inspecting the carvel motor
launch she’s building with her group. Below: Obioma (left) and Belinda (right) with local MP and traditional boatbuilding supporter Edward Morello.
CASE STUDY: MILLIE MACDONALD I’m from Norfolk and spent summer holidays sailing on the Broads. I did woodwork at school and loved both. When the pandemic hit, my dad asked me to build a canoe with him. We built a few and I just completely fell in love with it. Eventually this led me to the Boat Building Academy. I’ve been working on an
Sara Sutcliffe, RYA CEO, says, ‘It’s
course in December – very exciting, but slightly daunting! There’s a lot to learn in such a short space of time, but so far, it’s been fantastic.’ Polly hopes to use the skills she
learns here to work as a wooden boat builder. ‘I don’t yet know where it’ll take me,’ she says, ‘but I have no doubt it’ll be somewhere interesting and rewarding. I hope to help the industry continue to change and become more inclusive in the future.’ It’s not just women at the start of
their working lives taking an interest in boat building. Retirees and those wanting to develop their careers also enrol. Obioma Oji took a career break from interior design to do the BBA’s course. ‘It allowed me to develop my previous research into interior environments within a functional, beautiful object.’ She connected with WIBB,
eventually becoming one of their directors, and found it beneficial to see other women in marine trades, saying, ‘It gave me comfort to see its potential as a career choice.’ Like Polly, Obi also sees the benefits of a more diverse workforce. ‘It’ll allow for wider engagement across all areas of boating – in the production, use and end-of-life challenges that the marine industry faces (see p43). I believe wood is the future of boat building and I encourage more women to try it out.’
great to see how two organisations can complement each other and kickstart change. More diversity in the industry can only lead to more positive change as we see role models emerge.’
Nurturing goals The partnership with WIBB has opened up opportunities for graduates at the Academy. Belinda and Will can use their platform to secure introductions or placements at sites from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to the woman-led Abbey Boat Builder yard in Norfolk. WIBB is gaining attention. Belinda
recently went to a wooden boat festival in the USA where the initiative created a buzz, and a film about it won an award in Italy. ‘It’s captured people’s imagination,’ she says. Importantly, WIBB is also breathing
life into heritage boat building. It’s looking for sponsors to continue its activity, putting the future of the craft in good hands. ‘With wooden boat building on the endangered craft list, having gender diversity helps the whole industry to thrive,’ says Belinda. ‘Men also benefit from the network, support and mentoring. Hopefully we’re benefiting the whole industry.’ A rising tide really does lift all boats. For Will, this evolution is what the
Academy set out to enable. ‘It’s about the right people, rather than their gender, and hopefully we won’t have to talk about it anymore because it’s just people doing boat building.’
boatbuildingacademy.com
www.womeninboatbuilding.com
18ft carvel motor launch with my group. We’ve painted it with primer (below) and are now doing the fit-out: getting bulkheads and benches in and waiting for the engine, which goes in next week. Then it’ll be doing top coats of paint – and putting the deck on. She’ll be called Rocquaine Belle II and will go to Rocquaine Bay in Guernsey to be used for fishing and day trips. It’s a huge ask, building a boat in 18 weeks from scratch. But I’ve loved the intensity of it; being immersed in a little bubble, and just working with your hands every day – it’s tiring, but you get so much satisfaction out of it. The people on the course
are amazing; the tutors have been incredible. It’s helped me build confidence in my abilities. There’s no reason why a woman can’t do this course – the school’s been great at instilling that. Enrolling is the best decision I’ve ever made.
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