Gamecock Oyster Yawl

An update from our parent charity, Whitstable Maritime...

As the August sun sets over Sheppey, Whitstable Maritime is preparing for its next phase of development.

Over the next two years, the Charity has decided to focus on the restoration of Gamecock Oyster Yawl. This includes research into the former boatyards on Island Wall, links with ports in Northern Europe, festivals of sail, customised products, and sail training; as well as applying traditional boat building and managerial skills to the restoration and operation of Whitstable Oyster Yawls.

Whitstable Maritime's Chair, Gordon Vincent, says...

"We have shaken off the constraints imposed by the pandemic and are rebuilding our Volunteer base. We welcome and have need for a wide range of skills, whether it be marketing, fund-raising, community liaison, carpentry, or seamanship. Please get in touch on 07852 266006."

Led by our Shipwright, Morgan Lewis, the restoration of Gamecock Oyster Yawl is moving forward at pace.

The rotten timber has been stripped out by our great team of Volunteers, and each new piece of timber is then individually cut and shaped to fit the vertical and horizontal curves of the hull and marry with the original, sound timbers that remain.

Because of the high standard of the restoration, a working life expectancy of 60-80 years is expected for the vessel. 🙂👍

National Historic Ships UK

What a fantastic image of Whistable Oyster Yawl, Emeline, entering a busy this weekend, with the setting summer sun providing a beautiful backdrop! 👍☀️

📷 by Sue Judge

We'll just leave these here. Isn't she beautiful?
Hopefully will look even better post-restoration.
📷 of Gamecock Oyster Yawl - Seamus Masters,

Less than two weeks till our fantastic, family-friendly Marine Ecology Workshops at The Horsebridge Arts Centre (Sunday 14 August).

Run in association with Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast, they offer people of all ages a great opportunity to discover the living world along our coast.

They're all FREE!! But places are limited, so please book ahead...
https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/.../marine-ecology-workshops

A fantastic programme of FREE family-friendly events from our parent charity, Whitstable Maritime + Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast - Sunday 14 August @ The Horsebridge Arts Centre...

Sunday 14 August - A date for your diaries and an opportunity for all members of the family, young and old, to explore 's unique coastal environment.

Whitstable Maritime has joined with Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast to offer marine ecology workshops led by people who love their area of expertise. Some workshops are designed for specified age groups, others are for a general audience; some are in the The Horsebridge Arts Centre, others involve fieldwork on the beech or the marshes; all are FREE. No previous knowledge needed.

The workshops are the climax to a Wilding Whitstable Week and can be booked via https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/whats_on/special-events/marine-ecology-workshops) or by visiting The Horsebridge Centre.

Please note, numbers are limited, so please book in advance.
Any remaining places will be released on the day.

This event is part of a whole weekend of activities celebrating the town’s connections with the sea. From 11am-5pm on Sunday 14 August at The Horsebridge Arts Centre, you can also explore a special exhibition presented by the owners and boatbuilders of Whitstable’s historic Oyster Yawls. Meet the families, see their memorabilia, hear their stories, share your photographs, documents and memories. Visit the East Quay of the Harbour and see the work of the Shipwright and Whitstable Maritime Volunteers restoring a 1906 Oyster Yawl. See two of the few remaining Yawls still afloat.

"This is a new venture for us," says Gordon Vincent, Chair of Whitstable Maritime. "The intention is to give our visitors the chance to design their own programme for the day. There is sufficient flexibility for folk to follow their particular interests in as little or as much depth as they choose. We are very fortunate in attracting Volunteers who are keen to share their expertise in the marine environment, our maritime heritage and boat-building. The first step is to book your workshops so as not to be disappointed."

Gamecock Progress Report - July 2022, No.3

Morgan, the shipwright is on holiday this week. Before he went, we ordered all the Oak to complete the frames and deck beams.

We have been lucky to find a sympathetic sawmill in Dunkirk, who are happy to store the wood and deliver quantities as and when we require it. The pile in Image #1 was enough for about 6 frames. There is more than 12 times that in the current order, it's a big pile!

We also ordered the wood for the deck beams and were fortunate to be there when it was milled in a different mill in Boughton Monchelsea.

We picked our tree last year, it was felled about 2 years ago. Kent Oak. First it was chopped into 2, one half of it shown in Image #2.

Image #3: Set level and secure for the saw to pass over it.

Image #4: Next it is sawn into planks.

Image #5: Sticks are placed between the planks to allow for air flow whilst drying.

Image #6: The top slice, whilst not useable as timber is placed on top so that the bark gives protection from the sun whilst the wood dries.
When we get this delivered we will bang metal plates into the ends to help stop the wood splitting as it dries.
It will probably be next year before this wood is cut into the beams, but we want it well seasoned prior to installing. Wet wood can twist and bend. This is always undesirable particularly with long spans of unsupported wood, ie, deck beams.

Image #7: The old deck beams pictured before being removed.
The beams were originally oak. Over the years they have been replaced with different exotic hard woods. They almost all need replacing. Ironically the ones in best condition were the original oak ones.

The Team, Gamecock Oyster Yawl

National Historic Ships UK

Great mentions for Whitstable Maritime and Gamecock Oyster Yawl in the current issue of The Whitstable Whistler. 🙂👍

Read the article by Whitstable Maritime's Chair, Gordon Vincent all about 's unique maritime heritage.

https://issuu.com/whitstablewhistler/docs/ww_5_spring_web

To find out more, visit the 'Living Maritime Heritage' exhibition and family-friendly marine environment workshops (being run in association with Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast) from 11 to 5pm on Sunday 14 August, at the The Horsebridge Arts Centre.

Read more and book your places at:
https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/whats_on/special-events/marine-ecology-workshops

We've teamed up with The Horsebridge Arts Centre and Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast to deliver these fantastic Marine Ecology Workshops. 11am-5.30pm on Sunday 14 August.

Whether through fieldwork, dissection, art or poetry, this a great opportunity to discover the living world along our coast.
Family-friendly and FREE to attend. Pre-book your tickets here...

https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/whats_on/special-events/marine-ecology-workshops

And while at The Horsebridge that day, meet the shipwrights and families who built hundreds of wooden craft of all types along Whitstable's Island Wall before the 1960s. Share your family’s memories, photographs and other memorabilia of their boatyards with our research workers and help recreate this lost industry.

Gamecock Progress Report - July 2022 No.2

The first of the frames have gone in.
6 have been completed and temporarily fixed.
Image 1 shows frames 1-5. Note the hessian in-between the frames. The whole inside of the boat that lies beneath the water line is covered with hessian that is regularly wetted with salt water to keep the planks from shrinking.

Image 2 shows frame 6. You can see where frame 7 has been removed ready for the new one to be fitted. There are various techniques involved in removing a frame. The best bet seems to be using a chain saw, trying not to damage the planking and trying to miss any of the metal fixings. Lots of sharpening of blades if you do. It is crucial to remove all the old fixings (usually iron nails) from the planks and this is a long process. You can see the sunlight shining through the holes.

The frames are currently only temporarily fixed. The reason for the temporary fixing is that many of the planks will need to be replaced. We have to fix the frames to the planking to be able to remove the planks one at a time to be able to fix the new planks to the frames. It's all a long winded process, but it is going forwards.

The Team (Gamecock Oyster Yawl)

National Historic Ships UK

Sunday 14 August - A date for your diaries and an opportunity for all members of the family, young and old, to explore 's unique coastal environment.

Whitstable Maritime has joined with Plover Rovers - Talking the Coast to offer marine ecology workshops led by people who love their area of expertise. Some workshops are designed for specified age groups, others are for a general audience; some are in the The Horsebridge Arts Centre, others involve fieldwork on the beech or the marshes; all are FREE. No previous knowledge needed.

The workshops are the climax to a Wilding Whitstable Week and can be booked via https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/whats_on/special-events/marine-ecology-workshops) or by visiting The Horsebridge Centre.

Please note, numbers are limited, so please book in advance.
Any remaining places will be released on the day.

This event is part of a whole weekend of activities celebrating the town’s connections with the sea. From 11am-5pm on Sunday 14 August at The Horsebridge Arts Centre, you can also explore a special exhibition presented by the owners and boatbuilders of Whitstable’s historic Oyster Yawls. Meet the families, see their memorabilia, hear their stories, share your photographs, documents and memories. Visit the East Quay of the Harbour and see the work of the Shipwright and Whitstable Maritime Volunteers restoring a 1906 Oyster Yawl. See two of the few remaining Yawls still afloat.

"This is a new venture for us," says Gordon Vincent, Chair of Whitstable Maritime. "The intention is to give our visitors the chance to design their own programme for the day. There is sufficient flexibility for folk to follow their particular interests in as little or as much depth as they choose. We are very fortunate in attracting Volunteers who are keen to share their expertise in the marine environment, our maritime heritage and boat-building. The first step is to book your workshops so as not to be disappointed."

The restoration of Gamecock is just one of Whitstable Maritime's . Find out more by visiting shorturl.at/fptIY

If you’re interested in finding out more about , Gamecock - her history, her ongoing restoration, and our hopes and plans for her future, please watch our video…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jBGVMy1WM1U

Filmed and edited by Alex Hare Photography

National Historic Ships UK

Gamecock - The Last Whitstable Oyster Yawl A team of local volunteers is restoring 'Gamecock', the last surviving oyster yawl that was built in Whitstable and dredged for oysters off the coast. Our ai...

A reminder of what's on @ Horsebridge Arts Centre CT5 1AF (11am-5pm, Sunday 14 August). FREE ADMISSION 🙂

PLEASE NOTE, THE 'WHITSTABLE HARBOUR DAY & BOAT SHOW' ISN'T GOING AHEAD AS USUAL THIS YEAR.

We apologise for any confusion arising from a previously-scheduled Facebook Event post.

BUT please come along and enjoy our two days of fantastic family-friendly events (Saturday 13/8 and Sunday 14/8)! ☀️🍦

Gamecock Restoration Update - June 2022

There have been few reports about progress on the restoration up until now as the news has been far from positive.

Since arriving back in Whitstable 2 years ago in August, we have had:
- Lockdowns.
- A massive price increase in all building materials, especially wood.
- A programme of taking the boat apart to see what work needs doing.

The more we have looked, the more decay and damage we found. This has meant that we've looked further and taken more of the old girl apart. It seems pointless half doing a job.

There have been skips full of wood, skips full of concrete, burning paint off, sanding, putting paint back on.

This week has seen the first bit of rebuilding and it feels good.

We are starting to replace the frames. The frames of a boat are like ribs and an essential part of the skeleton.
There are 70 odd of them and about half need replacing.

Having eventually sourced some oak the shipwright was able to start this week and the rebuild has started.
Here are some photos of the process.

From now on we hope to post fortnightly progress reports and photos as we slowly piece the boat back together again. It will be a long process.

Thanks from the Whitstable Maritime volunteer team.


National Historic Ships UK

Another fantastic walking event for this year's Whitstable Harbour Day & Boat Show (August 13th and 14th).

Marine Biologist and Marine Benthos and Microplastics Enthusiast, Charlotte Woodhouse, will be leading an educational walk focused on our coastal environment. Charlotte says...

'I am excited to take part and educate communities whilst making an impact and helping to clean our beaches.'

Follow Charlotte () on Instagram and Twitter.

Whitstable Maritime

A few fantastic images from different periods in Gamecock's life - all of which show that she's quite a sizeable vessel!!

1. Whitstable Maritime volunteer, Liz, working in Faversham dry dock (2018)
2. Volunteers Mark Grinter and Peter Kalopsidiotis working at her current location, 's East Quay (2020)
3. Crew members on-deck during her later sailing days
4. Whitstable Maritime's Chair, Gordon Vincent (2021)

We've come a VERY long way since Gamecock Oyster Yawl was lowered onto 's East Quay three years ago. But there's still a long way to go.

Our dedicated team of volunteers is restoring her to her former glory, and with the continued support of local businesses, organisations and the general public, we hope she'll be back on the water and looking resplendent sometime in 2023. 🤞⛵️

📸 by Alex Hare Photography and Chris Davey

Restoring Gamecock, a 1907 oyster dredging boat built in Whitstable's boatyards, offers unique opportunities for all ages and backgrounds to experience and learn from 's maritime history.

The restoration is currently taking place in picturesque by a team of volunteers under the watchful eye of master shipwright, Morgan Lewis. It is being managed by Whitstable Maritime, a charity formed 7 years ago to celebrate the town's connections with the sea - past, present and future.

Restoring this to working order will allow us to offer experiences to develop leadership and teamwork in youngsters including local apprentices and school children. Through the boat's restoration, volunteers are developing practical skills and knowledge that can transfer to Construction and other industries.

Once restored, the Gamecock will facilitate the training of crews in collaboration with local yacht and sailing clubs and NHS physical and mental therapeutic social prescribing through unforgettable sailing experiences.

📸by Alex Hare Photography (The Whitstable Photographic Co.)

National Historic Ships UK

‘QUARTER SAWN' is not some medieval ex*****on method, but the term for the ideal cut of a tree trunk to produce decking on a sea-going vessel.

The Volunteers restoring Gamecock Oyster Yawl have found a timber merchant in the Weald who is prepared to quarter saw.

For most building requirements the tree trunk is laid on the saw bed just once and the saw slices the log. The grain in the planks run length-wise which makes them less stable than quarter sawn planks, in that they are more likely to shrink, swell and split.

When quarter sawing the tree trunk is laid on the saw bench, cut in half length-wise, and then rotated to quarter the half-logs. This results in wedges with a right angle. These are then tipped on end and each cut separately. This produces a plank that is more stable as the grain now runs across the cut.

Because this is a longer process and more wasteful of wood, it is more expensive, but it's really important because the deck on a sailing vessel can be soaked and dried several times in a day! 💧

National Historic Ships UK

Another blast from Gamecock's past. Known for her speed in light winds, she was a fierce competitor in regattas and matches.

Currently being restored by Whitstable Maritime's team of volunteers on 's East Quay, we hope she'll soon be back on the water and holding her own in races! 👍🤞

If you haven't diarised this great Whitstable Maritime event yet, do it today 🙂👍⛵️