Vintage Sailboats Needed!!
17th July 2012
Anyone out there with a vintage sailboat? Ackroyd or other?
Here is my column for this week! Send me your thoughts. Do you know any younger people who are passionate about wooden boats?
Youth and Wooden Boating
By Tim Du Vernet
It doesn’t take more than a quick glance at those participating in boat shows and many of the antique boating events to realize this hobby seems to be the domain of middle age and older men.
There are precious few “young” people in their twenties who have independently developed this passion. There are those fortunate enough to have parents with the passion for wooden boating and willing to share it with their children.
In some cases, several generations pile into the boat for the boat show or cruises to town. But the younger generation doesn’t have the time, resources or apparently the same interest to strike out independently. Those that do, usually enter the hobby with a Dispro, a canoe or a 1950’s or newer utility.
The late Patrick Wren was a collector of smaller boats and he enjoyed his SeaBird utility. Paul Gockel had his first Dispro as a teenager and it was likely that Paul Dodington was possibly conceived in a Dispro. I enjoyed my Dispro while at University and my canoes nearly daily.
From popular accounts, it would appear that most of those with means in this age group are more interested in speed and ease of use. The idea of manually lubing a 90 year old engine just isn’t in the cards. The preference seems to be an epoxy boat or a “Tupperware” performance boat.
The Toronto Chapter of the ACBS has recognized this troubling trend over the years and tried to boost the interest in wooden boats through the youth program and an apprenticeship sponsorship.
At this year’s boat show, the dory boat building program was very popular. It was wonderful to see parents as challenged as their children with the construction of the small boats.
The Muskoka Sea Flea group is all about family fun and their simple craft are very accessible to all walks of life.
So who will take on a 36 foot launch as they pass out of the aging hands of the pioneering collectors of today? That is the big question and only time will tell.
Here is my column for this week! Send me your thoughts. Do you know any younger people who are passionate about wooden boats?
Youth and Wooden Boating
By Tim Du Vernet
It doesn’t take more than a quick glance at those participating in boat shows and many of the antique boating events to realize this hobby seems to be the domain of middle age and older men.
There are precious few “young” people in their twenties who have independently developed this passion. There are those fortunate enough to have parents with the passion for wooden boating and willing to share it with their children.
In some cases, several generations pile into the boat for the boat show or cruises to town. But the younger generation doesn’t have the time, resources or apparently the same interest to strike out independently. Those that do, usually enter the hobby with a Dispro, a canoe or a 1950’s or newer utility.
The late Patrick Wren was a collector of smaller boats and he enjoyed his SeaBird utility. Paul Gockel had his first Dispro as a teenager and it was likely that Paul Dodington was possibly conceived in a Dispro. I enjoyed my Dispro while at University and my canoes nearly daily.
From popular accounts, it would appear that most of those with means in this age group are more interested in speed and ease of use. The idea of manually lubing a 90 year old engine just isn’t in the cards. The preference seems to be an epoxy boat or a “Tupperware” performance boat.
The Toronto Chapter of the ACBS has recognized this troubling trend over the years and tried to boost the interest in wooden boats through the youth program and an apprenticeship sponsorship.
At this year’s boat show, the dory boat building program was very popular. It was wonderful to see parents as challenged as their children with the construction of the small boats.
The Muskoka Sea Flea group is all about family fun and their simple craft are very accessible to all walks of life.
So who will take on a 36 foot launch as they pass out of the aging hands of the pioneering collectors of today? That is the big question and only time will tell.