.continued...They often have to work in groups of three or four, so team building also comes into it. What I also like is the attention to detail and the pride that people take in building these boats.'i
'The fact that they are boats and you can do something exciting in them has an appeal for them. On the last course one of the course members – a chap in his early 60s – had a great time paddling one of the Minimouses.
Q: What is the appeal of this particular plan?
'AT: A lot of boatbuilding is at a higher level, but these little boats are very accessible.
'Also, with the courses lasting just six days, we don't want to end with a half-finished boat – so the boats we build have to be simple. When you have two tutors and a dozen people on a course, you have to be able to set the students going and let them get on with it while you train someone else, and that isn't possible if the tasks are too complicated.
'It's essential to make sure that everyone gets their go.There's always a tendency for someone to be standing back because they feel that someone else is more able. I remember one of the students was working on a paddle, and another was standing a little way away, and I said "There are two ends to a paddle and you're cutting out the other end, aren't you?" "Oh am I," they replied, obviously slightly worried, but they did
it anyway.
How do they get on with the stitch and glue technique?
AT: 'Stitch and glue is the easiest way to build these little boats – because you don't have to cut angles. Apart from being a bit messy at times, this is the preferred way.
'We use cable ties for stitching the boats and even the models, and we don't tape the inside seams – it 's not necessary. We just tape the outsides of the seams with epoxy and glass tape, and use thickened epoxy to make a fillet on the inside.
'Working with a different type of group for a longer time we might think of building a different type of boat – for example, working with a group of boatbuilding apprentices we might build clinker ply designs.'
Q: What would you want to see in a new version of the Mouseboat?
AT: 'Yes – there is one thing I'd like, and it's a slightly larger version, because probably a third of the people who come on these courses are above 14 stone.'
Q: Do you have any advice for people building these boats?
AT: 'I did the detail a bit differently around the cockpit. We put a bit of trim in that bends to fit quite easily and they all managed to do that quite neatly [See the photo]. Class members particularly like the idea of using rotating hatches instead of drain plugs – the idea that you can put your beer and sandwiches in there appeals particularly... '
Contact Alan Thorne at [email protected]
90.