THE BOAT PROJECT

Posted by Jennie Spiller

More than 1200 wooden items have been donated by members of the public as part of inspirational “The Boat Project.”

The fabulous construction is the south east’s entry for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and it will visit south coast towns during the Olympics.

It has been handcrafted by a team of boatbuilders using the contributed parts that include original parts from the Mary Rose and HMS Victory which sit alongside more mundane objects but which all have their own unique story. The largest object is an 8ft long plank from a felled yew tree and the smallest is a cocktail stick. Other parts include acoustic guitars, a violin, a didgeridoo, a tennis racket, hockey sticks, a toy helicopter, a children’s train track and a Victorian police truncheon. Hidden among them all is that famed little piece of the guitar which rock legend Jimi Henrix played in 1960.
Each timber item was donated by a family or individual to represent their own personal story and have now been assembled to form the 30ft long hull of yacht.
The unique vessel is the brainchild of artists Gregg Whelan and Gary Winters, who appealed to members of the public to come forward with wooden objects that they would like to see included.