Building Communities By Building Boats

The Scottish Boatbuilding School, part of the Scottish Maritime Museum, worked with community groups and volunteers to build two St Ayles skiffs for use by communities within the Garnock Connections area. These community boats have been be used on Castle Semple Loch, almost used on Kilbirnie Loch, but are being used most regularly by Irvine Coastal Rowing Club and will compete in Coastal rowing competitions throughout Scotland!

This project helped keep alive some of the traditional boat building skills that have played such an important role in the history of our area. 

The completed boats also provide an unusual way to experience the landscape and wildlife of Garnock Connections.

Thanks to lots of hardwork by our boat building volunteers two skiffs, Garnock and Avocet, were launched and have been used regularly as part of Irvine Coastal Rowing Club. If you're interested in getting involved with a new coastal rowing club, fancy trying your hand at rowing one of the skiffs, or for more information, click on the links below to contact the Irvine Coastal Rowing Club.

Here, you can have a closer look at the process behind making these skiffs, and at the Scottish Boatbuilding School's workshop: