Watch us building boats the old way
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| Traditional craft - Don Ladell with his boat-building crew at the Seaking site in Old Leigh |
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A TRADITIONAL boat-building yard is set to be restored in Old Leigh, where visitors will be able to watch skilled craftsmen at work.
Plans to convert the Seaking Boatyard into a cafe were abandoned after the Environment Agency raised concerns about flood risk.
Instead, the site will once again become a working boatyard in the heart of the old fishing village, where wooden boats will be built for the luxury market.
Don Ladell, who owns AH Yachts, a Southend-based yacht delivery company, is already clearing the site ready for an official opening on Monday.
He said: "We are using modern design with old techniques of building. We will be building wooden boats within an old boatyard but they are modern boats.
"They are fast boats. They look very sleek and the whole boat is wood. There's no fibre glass."
He set up the project with entrepreneur John Cross, who owns the Boatyard restaurant next door and held the lease for the Seaking.
The pair will now go into partnership together and hold a joint lease from Southend Council.
They plan to open the site to visitors who want to watch traditional boat-building techniques first-hand.
Mr Ladell, of Barbour Green, Wickford, said: "We will be inviting people in and making them welcome.
"Anybody who wants to see how boats are built will be able to have a look round, under supervision.
"They will be able to come and see the whole process.
"And we're trying to work with the university to get students down to see how it works."
The negotiations over the Seaking site had also delayed Leigh Town Council's plans to rejuvenate Strand Wharf.
The problem arose because Mr Cross and Southend Council had to come to an arrangement about vehicle access to the site.
£120,000 project to revamp wharf
THE restoration of the Seaking Boatyard could finally allow the rejuvenation of Strand Wharf, town councillors hope.
Leigh Town Council welcomed the news which it believes will allow it to go ahead with long-standing plans to turn the wharf into a public space.
Chairman Peter Dolby said: "The town council has been gathering funds to refurbish the wharf completely and make it an attractive feature of Old Leigh.
"At the moment it's two levels of concrete and visually not great. We want to level the wharf off, lay old-looking paving slabs and put in benches and Victorian lighting."
Mr Dolby estimated the cost of the project at £120,000. He said the town council has about 50 per cent of the funds already, but still needs to raise the rest.
Southend Council agreed the town council could have the lease to the site more than a year ago, but were unable to pass it on until negotiations over the neighbouring Seaking property had been agreed.
Mr Dolby added: "I'm absolutely delighted that we have got wooden boat-building capabilities back in the old town.
"Also this gives us the opportunity now to get the lease situation on Strand Wharf moving forward."
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