Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Boat building (traditional wooden)

Section one - About you

Name

Are you willing for your name to appear on the website as a reviewer?

Yes please
No thanks

What is your reason for contacting us?

What is your interest or experience in this craft?

Do you have any suitable images or photos to support your entry?

No I don't
Yes, please contact me about them

Please give more details of your interest or experience of this craft and any organisations, guilds or associations that you are representing.

Section two - Description of the craft

Are you commenting on an existing craft?

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You are suggesting a new craft that is not already featured on the Red List

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

Craft category

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please give a definition of the craft in one or two sentences.

Where in the world is the craft historically associated?

Please identify country, region, county or town

Where in the UK is the craft currently practised?

Please identify country, region, county or town

When was the craft first practised in the UK?

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

How endangered would you say this craft is?

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Currently Viable (are in a healthy state and skills are being passed to the next generation)
Endangered (skills can be passed on but there are serious concerns about their ongoing viability)
Critically Endangered (there is serious risk that skills won't be passed on)
Extinct ( ‘extirpated’ or ‘locally extinct’ in the UK)

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

Number of professional makers (main income)

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

Number of professional makers (part-time or side line to main income)

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

Number of trainees

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

Number of serious amateur makers

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

Number of UK leisure makers and learners

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:

Summary of findings from the Symposium on Traditional Wooden Boat Building 2022 and the Traditional Wooden Boat Building Survey 2023:

Loss of regional boat types – Boat builders are heavily concentrated in the south of England, which increases the risk of losing other regional boat types and their associated skills and knowledge.
Loss of traditional skills – Due to market pressures and efficiency, most boat builders will (understandably) carry out both traditional skills and modern construction methods. However this could lead to some skills such as ‘building by eye’ and other hand skills becoming increasingly scarce.
Threats to UK maritime cultural heritage and a lack of government commitment to heritage skills and intangible cultural heritage in the UK – Shipwrighting and the restoration of large boats was cited as an area of concern with most of the skills concentrated in one or two businesses. It was felt that this, in addition to the loss of regional boat types, could pose an ongoing threat to the maritime cultural heritage of the UK. See also Shipwrighting.
Training routes – Boat building is well served for college based training with a healthy number of graduates. However, it was felt that these opportunities were not available to everyone and that there was a limited amount of funding to support those on lower incomes. There could also be more options for training including more apprenticeships and practical ‘hands-on’ work experience.
Lack of diversity in the sector – Most respondents were male (89%) and aged over 40 (70%); the dominant age category is 50+ (58%).
Sourcing raw materials – including timber, copper nails, roves etc. This has been further exacerbated by Brexit.
Business costs and overheads – energy, premises costs, high costs of labour and materials
Shrinking market for traditional boats – only the wealthy can afford to buy or own a boat
Loss of boatyards – waterside frontages and workshop rents have become prohibitively expensive
Recruitment and retention – recruiting people with the necessary skills, experience and the ability to work to a commercial timescale is becoming a problem. Difficulty in recruiting apprentices was also cited as an issue. Low rates of pay can mean that it is difficult to make it a viable occupation, particularly in the south of England where accommodation and cost of living are expensive.
Restoration and repair – there is an increasing market for restoration and repair, rather than building new boats
Lack of practical education in school.

2025 Update

Upturn in the market: After a considerable lull, boat building companies are tentatively optimistic and are reporting increases in job opportunities and orders.
Training routes: With the recent demise of IBTC Lowestoft, and before that IBTC Portsmouth, the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis is the last remaining training school of this type. There is a real risk that without consistent funding for those unable to pursue intensive traditional boat building training, the ability to continue training will be lost. It is essential that all is done to continue high quality training and to secure ongoing funding to serve this essential endangered heritage craft. Despite this, the Boat Building Academy continues to have good numbers of attendees.
Diversity: The Boat Building Academy reports that, for the first time, women have outnumbered men on the 40-week course with 8 women out of 15 students who will be launching in June 2025
Rates of pay: Whilst it is acknowledged that this is unlikely to ever be a highly paid occupations, there are now Boat Building Academy at the top yards who have been there for several/many years and are earning the higher salaries.

Training and recruitment issues

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

Tick for yes