This site is a reflection of my life as an aged recluse building boats that rarely see water, pottering in a Scottish garden and occasional meandering in the countryside of the far Northwest of Scotland. I am long retired and have developed what boatbuilding ability I have over the last seven years or so. I am the original Spineless mariner but do wonder – if you have aquaphobia and still force yourself into a boat occasionally are you really that spineless? I have built several boats for neighbours, friends and aquaintance and five for myself – always for good rational reasons which evaporated as soon as they got on the water – my search for the perfect boat continues. It is probably the one in the bottle once the hassle of building the latest has driven me to empty it. In the meantime those that did not live up to my expectation make good garden ornaments and help keep the weeds down until they find a better home.
For my boatbuilding tales please go to The Little Green Shed
For my miscellaneous burblings look at Ramblings
Garden Snaps and Hilly Snaps are self explanatory.
If you want to ‘borrow’ my snaps and post elsewhere please respect my copyright and clear it with me first – especially so if you are going to make a statement of fact about the how, too often I am seeing my snaps posted elsewhere with comments that are factually incorrect.
Oh, sorry I didn’t introduce myself.
I’m Giles Tompkins, of Fort Myers, Florida. I’m 70, retired, and enjoying making this little boat.
I’m building the Mouse Boat designed by Gavin Atkin for my 8-year old granddaughter Amanda, so I’ll name her “Miss Amanda”.
The first boat I built was a Cajun Piroque, basically a 16 foot wooden canoe. I made this for my first grandson, Jerimiah, hence the name “Mr. Jay”. Jay christened the boat with Red Pop.
Thanks again for the great website, and for all the new (to me) building ideas.
Giles
By: Giles Tompkins on July 17, 2009
at 17:22
Hi Giles – good to meet up in this virtual world. Gavin’s Mouse is an interesting boat, I am very tempted myself – I have a couple of sheets of ply left over from the RAID build (bought as a contingency) that were not needed and as it is not my ply of choice for pretty boats would serve nicely for a painted Mouse for the Grandkids when then come North for holidays. I had the pleasure of seeing the designer in his own Mouse on the Broads at the end of May at the HBBR meet at Barton. Image is here: http://ukhbbr.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/23-05-09-846.jpg .
Regards
Chris
By: strathkanchris on July 19, 2009
at 13:14
I really enjoyed looking through your web site, especially the parts about building the Scotch Mist. Thanks for the idea of using a heat gun to soften and remove epoxy. I got some thickened epoxy that squeezed out when I clamped the gunwale, and I didn’t see that it came out on the bottom side also. (You might think that if I saw it squeeze out on the top, I would expect the bottom too, but this is only my 2nd boat – still learning to put 2 x 2 together.) I bought a heat gun this morning, and it works like a charm. Thanks, Giles
By: Giles Tompkins on July 17, 2009
at 17:12
Thanks for the kind words – the hot air gun trick also works with masking tape, I use miles of the stuff to keep poxy away from where I don’t want it. Once the poxy has cured then a gentle warming with the gun is enough to persuade the poxy to come off with the tape. Useful when you forget the advice to remove the tape once the poxy has started to go off – I am the one that normally forgets.
By: strathkanchris on July 19, 2009
at 13:06
Thanks so much for this idea. Removing the masking tape after it has been glued down is next to impossible!
By: Giles Tompkins on July 19, 2009
at 13:28
Hello Chris
My messages to HBBR site keep bouncing in spite of my efforts to rectify things.
Thank you again for the lift from Beale to Lechlade and many congratulations for all the photos.
The Raid was a wonderful holiday and I felt really fit and well after it.
Best wishes to you and your vife,
Tony
By: tony waller on June 15, 2009
at 13:05
Dear Chris, thank you so much for the lovely photograph you gave us on Sunday it is great. My lad Dom was a bit dissapointed we didnt win anything so the photoand your very kind comments were a great consolation. I hope you got home in comfort and I look forward to seeing you agin next year at the show. Thanks again Ben
By: ben fowler on June 9, 2009
at 13:55
Hi Ben,
. I should tell Dom that it’s the taking part that matters – winning is the subjective view of a few individuals faced with an invideous task, just how do you choose between such a great variety of well executed boats?
Grand to meet up again, I think your error might have been the use of Bolts and wing nuts to hold the three parts of Gekko together – string scores more points
As for next year – why wait – why not bring her and the crew up to the Cotswold Water Park Rally in September – you will have a great time, as long as you don’t expect organisation.
Chris
Oh and BTW have modded the snap as we discussed! – it’s now on the Beale 09 page.
By: strathkanchris on June 9, 2009
at 15:53
Hi Chris. You seem to be getting on great with all this techno stuff. Keep it up. I’m sure we can get a decent HBBR site out of all this research. Cheers for now Graham.
By: Graham on June 13, 2008
at 15:33