February Newsletter

There's only four weeks or so until Easter, the first big boating weekend of the year.

We're busy getting everything shipshape for Easter at Gweek. There are refurbs, building projects and spring cleans going-on. Ribs are being coppercoated, engines installed, anti fouling taking place and installation of sea cocks.  We will do all the dirty work and our boat care team are very happy to additionally provide a full valet service inside and out. John Gilmurray is happy to position boats on moorings ready for use. He can be contacted through the office to schedule this service.

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Anti-fouling offer
Buy any tin of anti foul over £30 and receive a free application kit worth £8.
Application kit includes:

1 x Large Roller Tray
1 x Fluffy Roller Refill
1 x 2" Paintbrush
1 x Long Roller Frame
1 x Masking Tape Roll
1 x Pair Disposable Gloves

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February highlights

Lizard Marine are established now and plan to offer a Sea Start service on the Helfordfor boat owners suffering a mechanical problem afloat on the Helford River. More details to follow. Lizard Marine already has an impressive order book of work with outboards and inboards motors being serviced. Troy Christensen is establishing his marine electronicsbusiness at the yard and should be ready to go from next month. Already Troy has improved the electrics to the yard with power being upgraded to 200Amps. Hopefully problems for the live aboards will be greatly reduced. The new raised concrete stands look impressive.  

Tammy and the team have painstakingly put nearly all the chandlery stock on the computer and rearranged it. Now, I hope we can give you a price easily and quickly with most of the stock being logically laid out. Whatever you need we can obtain very quickly (normally same day) from our suppliers. Recently we have obtained flares, serviced life rafts and jackets. Sails have been laundered and rigging replaced. Tell us what you need or which service you are after and I am sure we can help you find it.  

Fire Dancer will be coming out of the shed at the end of this week after being refitted by Andrew Massey, Duncan Skingley and the team, who converted her from a tiller to a wheel. Suzi Ferris has done a great job painting her. The team will be restepping the mast and she will be launched Monday next week.

The Boatyard Cafe is being completed and will open over Easter weekend. Susie Goodwill’s dream and vision are coming together and we are very excited to see this being realised. Susie plans to offer traditional locally sourced food as well as barista style coffee. 

Andrew Massey and Duncan Skingsleyare now established in their shed and this was used as a back drop by Jeremy Taylor motoring correspondent for the Daily Telelgraph to showcase the new McLaren Super Car. 

Chris Hardman Jones is extremely busy with fibre glass projects and now has effective heating in his shed to speeden the fibre glassing process. 

Readers will be pleased to note that we have shelved ideas for car parking charges for visitors for the time being. Please park carefully especially when boat movements are taking place. Please also ensure that all visitors sign in with the office. Phase 2 of the ground works are due to start with improvements to the reclaimed land, quaysides and the live aboard pontoons. 

The Liebherr crane is being readied for boats returning into the water and the hydraulic trailer is being completely overhauled. The yard has purchased an impressive 30 ton fork lift from the USA. This machine is being shipped over and is capable of lifting 10 ton boats that are up to 30ft long. The fork lift will speed up and simplify the lifts into the water. We are expecting the fork lift to be certified and ready to go at some point in April once operator training has been completed. We will need to regulate parking carefully once lifting takes place.

Craning in season is coming so all boat owners should be sure to book in as soon as possible as the diary is filling up.

Last weekend we hosted the Gweek Parish Council to the yard and showed them the work and the plans we have for the yard. We are committed to the long term sustainability of the yard and are delighted to work with the parish council to achieve this. The familiarity of the council members with the issues facing the yard has been enormously helpful and we look forward to being part of the future plans of Gweek village. 

On a sad note we also said goodbye to one of our long term residents on the yard; Kingsley Hubbard. Kingsley was a true master mariner having captained bulk ore carriers throughout the world. He sadly passed away in the night on his beloved yacht Lady Clare. Kinglsey will be missed by the residents and staff and we offer our condolences to his family and friends. 

As always, please feel free to call us at any time on 01326 221657 or email info@gweekquay.co.uk. We will look after your boat as if it was our own. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to call me on 07767640986 or email on mark.aichroth@btopenworld.com.

January Newsletter

We have had a very wet and blowy winter and all at the yard cannot wait for Spring. We have had the house boat pontoons blown around and nearly weekly storms with 40+ mph winds. Fortunately no damage done so far but has been a constant reminder of the routines of owning a boat yard. I thought I would update on progress.

January highlights

• Andrew Massey, Duncan Skingley, Chris Hardman-Jones and John Henderson have now rented workshop space at the yard and become approved contractors.
• We are looking to welcome more boat builders and related craftsmenonto the yard with introductory deals. Classic Boat magazine will feature this aspect and do a report on the yard in the first half of the year.
• Susie Ferris has helped us to put together anti-fouling packs for those needing all the tools and materials to anti-foul their boat. These include brushes, rollers, tape, primer and anti-fouling.  If you don’t want to do this job we are happy to take on the work. Please speak to the office. We will also be offering a valeting service to get all boats nice and clean to go back into the water. This will include a full clean inside and outside.
• We are looking at implementing a parking system at Gweek Classic Boat Yard.  Boat owners and contractors will be entitled to park, however visitors to the yard will be charged. This will improve the parking situation and make it fairer for everyone.
• Troy Christensen has worked tirelessly to improve the reliability of the electrics at the yard. He has increased the power supplies so this should reduce the drop in current to the house boats.  Troy has also set up a marine electrics business at the yard and has now given up his London job to move down to Gweek, restore his yacht and start the new business. He will still occasionally return to the London area to race his Musto Skiff at the very top level.
• John Henderson is busy setting up Lizard Marine and already has a growing order book of work for the yard.
• Our undercover space is increasingly being taken and we are very excited with some fo the wonderful boats that have come onto the yard for work.
• Holly Carberry has joined our team to help and improve with some of the communications. Please let us know if you would like to announce anything in this newsletter.
• Gweek Classic Boat Yard now has a deep water mooring on the Helford that is located between Port Navas and the ferry landing. The mooring is suitable for a deep level boat up to 35 feet and can be rented for short or long periods. Please contact the office for a quote. The yard with Lizard Marine also will have a rib positioned at Helford to help where possible any customers that have need of our services or any mechanical breakdown.

Falmouth Classics

We are all looking forward to Falmouth Classics in June.We will be racing one of the yard’s classic yachts; Sara, the Deben 4 tonner. We are a major sponsor of the event and will have a stand in the event village. It would be great to see you there.

 

Classic Boat Magazine

Classic Boat will be doing a feature on Gweek Classic Boat Yard later in the year about the development taking place and new services available. Look out for our ads in next month's issue.

Café to open in April

Susie Goodwill will have the café open in April and we are all looking forward to being able to see the project finished.

We look forward to welcoming you to Gweek as you work on your boat. Please feel free to call us at any time on 01326 221657 or email info@gweekquay.co.uk. We will look after your boat as if it was our own. I hear many impressive and incorrect versions about our plans for the yard and what we have done. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to call me on 07767640986 or email on mark.aichroth@btopenworld.com

Visit to Chantier Pasqui in Villefranche Sur Mer

Malcolm Beaton and Mark Aichroth visited Chantier Pasqui in Villefranche Sur Mer last week.. This historic yard built rowing galleys in the 16th century and out of the same building they restore J class yachts. A visit is planned by the team at Chantier Pasqui to Gweek next year. 

Pictured: Malcolm with one of the craftsmen, Christoph.

Statement on acquisition of Gweek Quay 20 July 2017

To all Gweek Quay residents, boat owners, employees, Gweek residents and contractors,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the acquisition of the business of Gweek Quay. Everyone has experienced many false dawns to the revival of this important and historic boat yard, but, I hope this announcement will start a new way of working with all the Gweek Quay community. The new purchasers are Malcolm and Maria Beaton plus Mark Aichroth. Malcolm is a farmer from Somerset with a passion for turning around businesses. Mark is a businessman, ex soldier and a keen sailor of classic yachts, plus has spent many of his early years in Gillan Cove near Helford. 

We realise Gweek Quay’s importance within the maritime industry and the local community, we also realise that it is a home and place of work to many people who consider it their own. This responsibility has been seriously considered prior to purchase. This is a one year project to get the boat yard back on its feet, tidy and a place one would want to visit and bring one’s boat.

This project is both exciting and challenging. We need to perform many tasks to restore the reputation of the boatyard and get it going as a flourishing business. There are tasks that need to be completed; including creating a safe environment, finishing the ground works and pontoons. Additionally, we need to be steadfast in making the business pay for itself and meeting commitments to all those involved. This may well include some change as to how things have been done historically and changes to the administration and running of the business. Change can be difficult but also positive to many. We have quickly realised that the boat yard cannot continue as it is. We will keep you all informed as things progress and what our plans are with frequent updates.

Malcolm and I plan to meet you over the coming weekend and to hear your views of what should be done and your aspirations for the yard. Jill Wedge will circulate times that we are able to meet. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch on email or telephone and I will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible. Mark.aichroth@btopenworld.com telephone 07767640986.