Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis to meet students past and present and learn more about its work preserving and promoting the heritage craft.
The Princess Royal enjoyed tours of the Academy’s boat building and furniture workshops, meeting students of the 40-week boatbuilding course, and 12-week furniture courses, including a number who had been awarded bursaries to enable them to attend.
The Princess, who is Patron of The National Transport Trust, also unveiled a Red Wheel plaque, awarded by the Trust in recognition of the academy’s important role in Britain’s transport and industrial heritage.
The Boat Building and Furniture Making Academy was founded in 1997 by naval commander Tim Gedge. Since then, it has trained over 2500 people, including over 650 people in boat building. Many of these have gone on to work in the boat building industry across the UK and the world.
The Princess Royal was accompanied on the visit by the current Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Professor Michael Dooley. Other dignitaries included West Dorset MP Edward Morello, members of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and Women in Boat Building and Lady Judy McAlpine, President of The National Transport Trust.
The Princess also enjoyed a demonstration of steam bending by BBA Assistant Tutor Samuel Robinson and current boat building students Hannah Blake and Eleanor Snape. Steam bending involves making wood pliable by exposing it to steam and then bending it to a desired shape. It is used extensively in wooden boat building – most importantly in forming the ribs of boats. The Princess generously assisted in helping to hold the wood while it was secured for bending.
Director Will Reed said: “The Princess Royal’s visit comes at a critical time as we prepare to launch a campaign to buy the freehold of our building and in doing so secure the future of the academy and strengthen the future of the UK boat building industry.”
At the end of the tour the Founder of the BBA Commander Tim Gedge AFC RN presented The Princess with a wooden half scale 8ft spooned oar handmade by BBA Tutor Mike Broome.
Tim said: “Her Royal Highness’s visit was hugely important to the BBA in endorsing our work in preserving and advancing traditional and modern boat building techniques, and as a charity in enabling and supporting boatbuilders and furniture makers to gain these ancient skills. The Princess was very well-informed and hugely engaged during her visit. We all feel immensely proud to have been able to showcase our work to her.”
