Andrew Streeter credits the Boat Building Academy with giving him the irresistible “push” he needed to retire.
The 60-year-old married father-of-two from Kent, explained: “I had been working in the London insurance market for 40 years, which had provided our family with a good life. But boats, sailing and more recently sculling, have been my passion in life and my boating trips were my escape from my rather mundane job.
“I had read about the Boat Building Academy at Lyme Regis in one of the sailing magazines. Then, three years ago I went to the Southampton Boat Show.
“At that time retirement was approaching fast.
“People I knew were seeing their health decline and I guess I had this feeling that it was time to stop work and do something more rewarding – or risk just going on working.
“The BBA stand was the first one I came to at the Boat Show.
“They had a beautiful boat on display and the team was so enthusiastic and completely sold the Academy to me – the seed was officially sown.
“I signed up for the 40-week course two years ago and it has been a plan in the making ever since.”
He continued: “It isn’t easy. In fact, it’s downright hard. I’m not what you would call a natural boatbuilder – quite the opposite in fact.
“DIY? You can forget it! I’m basically incompetent. And my woodworking skills were zero.
“But having sat at a keyboard for over 40 years, I knew it was time to come out of my comfort zone and really push myself, and that’s what I’m doing here every day.
“I am staying in the Academy, in a small room, learning alongside other people I would probably never have met if I hadn’t come here; Youngsters training for careers in boat building, professionals who are undertaking complete career changes and of course retirees like me, who are just revelling in this amazing place and experience.
“Each day I am learning new skills from expert tutors and best of all, I am building my own beautiful wooden boat from scratch.
“In my career I was probably guilty of micro-managing. But here I’m having to co-work and trust people I don’t know to help me build my boat – and learning to let go is tough, but something I know I need to do.
“I used to wake up worrying about work, and now I wake up worrying about building this boat!
“If everything goes to plan, at the end of 40 weeks I will launch my new 14ft 11 sailing boat, Edna, named after my grandmother, into the bay at Lyme, with all the other boats being built here.
“She will use the design of a Crosby Cape Cod Catboat from 1890 and will have two of the biggest sails ever produced here at the Academy.
“I hope to sail her on Chichester Harbour, out of Hayling Island Sailing Club
“I’m only halfway through the course. After 20 weeks of study, we are now beginning our build and there will be some long days and maybe even some all-nighters ahead.
“But what an incentive I have – and what a retirement!”
