Bridport and Lyme Regis Harbour Assistant Harri Emery has taken a substantial step towards a career in boatbuilding after securing a bursary to study at the Boat Building Academy (BBA).
Harri, 25, has enrolled on the academy’s 40-week boat building course and hopes to follow in the footsteps of other women who have gone on to enjoy successful careers at some of the UK’s top boatyards.
She explained: “I have always dreamed of becoming a boatbuilder, so being awarded a bursary to study at the BBA in Lyme is amazing. I’ve been working all the shifts I can to save for the course and the Harbour Master James Radcliffe has also been very supportive and gave me a great reference. But it simply wouldn’t have been possible for me afford the course without help, so I am extremely grateful to Will and the team at the BBA for giving me this opportunity.”
Harri, who is self-taught in woodworking and has worked as a yacht deck hand is currently in the first half of the 40-week course, learning about tools and boatbuilding techniques ‘upstairs’ before moving downstairs to build a number of commissioned wooden boats with her fellow students.
“It’s amazing to be here, absorbing all this knowledge and watching the other class who are building their boats downstairs as we speak, ready for launch in June,” she said.
“I have a creative mind and love engineering, so I am hoping this will help me as I progress through the course. Everyone is friendly and genuinely wants everyone to do well, and the tutors are great. Students are also from all backgrounds and as one of four women on the course it’s great knowing that so many women before me have gone on to achieve so much in the industry.”
Harri was appointed Harbour Assistant for Bridport and Lyme Regis last summer and has become a familiar face at both locations where she has a multitude of responsibilities including assisting harbour users, collecting harbour dues, delivering fuel, maintaining slipways and steps and inspecting harbour areas.
“I love being Harbour Assistant – meeting and assisting all the boat owners as part of a great team, and I am learning so much. I am hoping to be able to return to do some shifts this summer,” she added.
“I know this course is going to be a huge new challenge, but I’m incredibly excited to be here and hope it will eventually lead to me going on to work in wooden boat restoration.”
Harbour Master James Radcliffe said: “Harri settled into her role as Harbour Assistant incredibly quickly and has become a genuinely valuable member of the team at both Bridport and Lyme Regis. While we’re of course sad to see her reduce her hours, we’re absolutely delighted she has this opportunity and fully support her as she follows her passion for boatbuilding. We wish her all the very best with the course and look forward to welcoming her back to work with us throughout the season.”
Will Reed, Director of the BBA said: “It is so good to have Harri with us on the boat building course. We were really impressed with her application and excellent track record working with James and the Harbour teams. Now in week seven, Harri is getting on brilliantly and taking the challenges in her stride. I’m delighted we were able to assist her with a women’s bursary and I’m sure she will be an asset to the course and in her future as a wooden boat builder.”
The BBA offers bursary applications for all its courses including the specialised Bursary for Women, Bursary for Lyme Regis Residents, and Bursary for Dorset Residents. For details of these and all the courses available. including the next 40-week courses starting in September and February. please visit the Boat Building Academy website (www.boatbuildingacademy.com).
