March Newsletter — Gweek Classic Boatyard

We are all looking forward to the end of the winter after a testing first year with constant gales and even snow. Fortunately we have fared pretty well and are seeing increasing numbers of boats booking to come in for work. It is a busy time as everyone is preparing to get their boats ready for the season; the sales in the chandlery have increased and the preparation/application kit with anti fouling has been very popular.

March highlights

Susie Goodwill opens the Boatyard Cafe this weekend. You will be able to enjoy delicious barista brewed coffee as well as snacks and meals right in the heart of the boatyard. This has been a big project for Susie and we are delighted with how the cafe looks.

The hydraulic boat trailer has been completely renovated and preventative maintenance on the crane is being continued, carried out by John Henderson who is increasingly busy with Lizard Marine. Bookings for his work can be made through the office.

This week Malcolm Beaton has virtually single handedly rebuilt the slip way wall by the Boatyard Cafe; a stunning piece of work. The new fork lift is in transit from the USA and a new lifting pad is being created to accommodate it. This fork lift can lift 12 ton motor boats up to 30ft in length. Mark Aichroth repositioned the channel marker buoys that had moved during the storms. At the time of writing they are in the correct places and will be regularly checked.

This week we have had the pleasure of Adrian Dyer from Salem California volunteering at the Yard. He has worked on square riggers in the USA and was keen to help out at Gweek Classic Boatyard. Adrian was invaluable in getting Sara, the yard’s 1936 Deben 4 tonner into better shape. We are most grateful to Adrian for his help and we look forward to him revisiting later in the year.

This year we are very proud to be sponsoring the Falmouth Classics event; more details can be found on the Falmouth Classics website. We will have a tent in the trade village and look forward to welcoming our customers. We'll have a presence at the event along with Lizard Marine, Troy Marine Electronics, Duncan Skingley and Andrew Massey in attendance. Mark Aichroth will be racing Sara and we hope to see a number of our boat owners at the event.

Please note that price rises will be implemented for the month of May. May invoices will be sent out in mid April.

Lastly and most importantly we need to be mindful of the environment. Please can boat owners be responsible with their unwanted engine oil and take it home with them. I hate finding buckets of oil lying around for us to dispose of. Please place sheeting under the area of the boat your are antifouling. Hull spraying off will no longer take place on the craning pad. When engine testing please be careful of any exhaust oil going into the river. Your cooperation is appreciated.