Sunday, 15 February 2015

Shetland's boats

Angus McNeil (hi vis jacket), George Johnson (cap) and Malcolm Hutchison examining boats at the weaving shed, Burravoe, Yell, Shetland.



OK, I just thought I should let folk know that I am still alive, not boatbuilding at the moment, conducting boat research instead. This research has pretty much taken over my life, but I am really enjoying this privileged position of being paid to do something I enjoy.  If you would like to find out more about I am actually doing then please follow this link: https://shetlandboat.wordpress.com/ 

Monday, 24 March 2014

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Blog neglect!

Scalloway Fire Festival the other week.


Yep, I have been a bit distracted the last few months. So distracted that I have just realised the last post was written in July 2013! Oh well, such is life. Part of the problem is that I have no boat building projects on the go at the moment apart from the ongoing maintenance of my two boats Zephon (Harrison  Butler Z4 tonner) and Defiant (13' Pilot Cutters rowing punt). 

I have been busy though. We are living on Burra, Shetland and I am now three months into my post graduate research studies on the Shetland Boat: History; Folklore and; Construction. We are loving living in Shetland and you can see what we are up to by clicking here on our Our Shetland Adventures


So, that's it for now, I am hatching some boat building project plans, and hoping to learn the art of Norwegian færing building da Norsk way!


So, for now.


Tusen Takk

Marc
 

Monday, 22 July 2013

We are moving to Shetland In September so I can begin a three year, fully funded PhD on the Shetland boat: history; folklore & construction.



We are moving to Shetland!  I've been very lucky in being selected to research the Shetland boat. The PhD is being financially supported by the Shetland Amenity Trust. I will be a full-time student at the Centre for Nordic Studies which is a department of the University of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.  The purpose of this research is to ensure that the historic fishing boats of Shetland whose heritage can be traced back to the Norwegian Vikings is definatively documented and preserved for the people of Shetland. 


Visiting Shetland for the first time and finding somewhere to live.

Rae and I visited Shetland for the first time in May. We were very excited by the prospect of visiting the Islands. The little bit of Shetland we saw during our three day visit was staggeringly beautiful. What impressed me most were the big skies, the quietness, the rugged wildness and the fact that the sea is never far away. Everyone we met made us feel very welcome and the Winward B&B in Scalloway run by Beth Cummings is great. 

Whilst in Shetland we made enquiries about finding a place to live. We had tried the usual route of Rightmove and Primelocation with no success at all. Searches on these sites proved fruitless and the reason for this we found out is that most people use shetlink which is the community website. 

On our return home we signed-up with Shetlink and placed an advert for rented 
accommodation. Low and behold within a week we had found somewhere to live at a 
reasonable price. Its a small, pretty croft overlooking the sea which sounds idyllic and 
hopefully it will be. We are really looking forward to living in Shetland and becoming part of the 
community.  Obviously, I am hoping to be able to do some boat building, and I have a 
hankering to build a boat related to the PhD, maybe a Norwegian Fairing, we shall see.

Hay's Dock Lerwick
Shetland Museum, Lerwick
Boat Building sheds at the Shetland Museum
Hay's Dock
Lerwick
Lerwick