Tollcross Currach

Boat launched!

(see photos below)

The Adult Learning Project at Tollcross say (Oct08):

Over the past year Edinburgh's Adult Learning Project has been working with local peole in Tollcross Community Centre to bring back the ancient craft of boat building to the Union Canal by making an Irish currach. As phase one of a communication project we have made and 18 feet long frame and skin boat from a design developed 2000 years ago but still being used on a daily basis on the western seaboard of Ireland.

Currachs are heritage, culture, history and athletics all in one; and the history of the currach is as old as Ireland itself. Now made from tarred canvas they were originally built by craftsmen using animal skins, stretched over wooden slats or laths and rowed with bladeless oars. Although flimsy looking it is perfectly adapted to the local seas.

Accordint to Irish legend it was in a currach that St. Brendan journeyed across the Atlantic 900 years before Columbus and 400 years before the vikings!

We decided on building the currach as it depends on good tar rather than great woodwork skills to keep afloat.

Since millions of pounds have been spent refurbishing the canal, and Tollcross Community Centre is right beside it, ALP decided that this asset must be made accessible to local people for increasing skills, confidence, keeping fit and having fun together.

Bovis construction re-built an old shed on site and made us a fine new workshop. We scrounged some old tools and got started. As well as involving local people we wanted to make the project as sustainable as possible , and have scrounged timber from SGB scaffolding, church pews from Greyfriars Kirk, ans some oak from Lothian trees.

The ALP Association gave us a power saw and some money for fastenings and glue. Some months later and we are ready to launch.

We have been collaborating with Re-Union, and educational charity fitting out a canal barge. Re-Union are celebrating the completion of their own 60 foot barge as an educational and social resource on the canal and will start the day at Wester Hailes and will arrive at Edinburgh Quay here at Tollcross at 12noon.

We invite you to welcome Re-Union, and to celebrate the launch of our craft and name her - Friday 31st October 2008 12:30pm.

Images

27 October 2008

	The launch - a joint event with Re-Union.
	A crowd gathers

	Stan enthusiastic about the boat
	This was a joint even with Re-Union
	Bagpipes and speeches


	The currach launch



	The first row. The boat was blown about a bit, but returned safely.
	More people.

More from Flickr group

These are images from the project on Flickr:

Final building

	Putting tar on the boat

24th June 2008

These images show progress on the boat.

	Here's the plan
	The boat is upside down. This is the bow/front.
	This is the stern/back.
	This material will be used to cover the frame, and tar will be applied to make it waterproof.
	Nailing the long pieces of wood in place.

	Working underneath/inside the boat.