Thursday 23 June 2011

Lerret at Beale Park

Just rewind a week. The Home Built Boat Rally started off from Beale Park Thames Boat Show near Pangbourne, which apparently was bathed in glorious sun until I got there on Sunday. Then the heavens opened.
Here is boatbuilder Gail McGarva showing off her superb lerret, a boat found only in Lyme Bay in Dorset and used for mackerel fishing. She built it by eye in the workshop of the Boatbuilding Academy in Lyme Regis.
In the newly-formed RNLI used two of them as lifeboats because of their sea-keeping qualities. So it was rather appropriate that Gail was sporting this rather fetching set of oilskins for the occasion.
The lerret's oars are tremendous planks pivoted on steel thole pins. Apparently they balance well and are easier to swing than might appear.

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