promoters hope new portsoy initiative will encourage young people to take up sailing
Boat-building project for youngsters to be launched
Published: 09/07/2010
A boat-building project has been devised in the north-east as part of an initiative to encourage youngsters to learn sailing.
Moves are under way to recruit young people for the week-long course at Portsoy in August.
The promoters of the scheme hope that they will attract about 20 young enthusiasts to sessions at the Salmon Bothy community venue.
In the long term, the initiative may lead to the formation of a regular building group.
The initiative is being steered as a bothy project by Pete Danks, chairman of Portsoy Faering Project.
That scheme comes under the umbrella of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival and encourages young people to build and sail boats.
The proposed new course was prompted by a 10-day sailing tuition project at Loch Soy, Portsoy, by the Banff Community Small Schools Sailing Initiative.
It was held in June and involved youngsters learning to sail under the direction of experts from the Scottish Royal Yachting Association.
Mr Danks said: “I was speaking to a local mum later who said the youngsters could do with boats of their own to sail.
“I thought about a boat-building week and getting youngsters together in groups of two or three to build dinghies.
“These would be simple, plywood-hulled dinghies and it should be possible to build in a week.
“We are talking about boats about 5ft long and 3ft wide.
“The youngsters could then sail them in the safe water in the harbour or at Loch Soy.”
He added, “If the planned week is a success, there is a possibility of running a regular group.”
Mr Danks said details about acquiring and paying for materials for the course had not yet been worked out.
He is in talks with Lorna Summers, the organiser and secretary of the small school group, about the boat building week.
He said: “We are looking to attract both boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 15 and I think there will be a demand.”
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Boat-building project for youngsters to be launched - Press & Journal
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