Our graduates couldn’t disguise their joy as they launched their new boats into the sea at Lyme Regis on the hottest June day ever recorded.
The 16-strong cohort enrolled at the college in September 2025 and together have built an 18ft (5.5m) traditional wooden clinker double ender commissioned by the family of student George Snellgrove, a 16ft (4.9m) glued clinker, cutter-rigged sailing dinghy, based on Francois Vivier’s Ebihen design commissioned by student John Piper, and a 17ft (5.2m) strip-planked Gartside runabout powered by a 30hp outboard motor, commissioned by student Gordon Gray.
George Snellgrove’s traditional wooden clinker was commissioned by his grandfather Mark Snellgrove, who has his own sawmill in Bude, Cornwall.
Mark said: “I have been up to visit the build five times since it started and it’s been amazing to see George and his fellow students working on it, learning so much, and ultimately producing this wonderful boat.”
He added: “It was important to us that we knew where the timber for the boat came from, so we sourced the oak and larch ourselves from the Pentillie and Endsleigh Estates on the Tamar before going on to cut it for the build. George and his fellow students have taken that wood and produced something spectacular, and it was quite emotional to see her finally take to the water.”
The boat – named Bessie after Mark’s grandmother – is a Grimsay design originally built in the Outer Hebrides.
“We have a small holiday home there and it was my original intention to take her there to sail her, “ explained Mark. “However, now the family have all seen her finished they are adamant they want her to stay with us the west country so they can enjoy her as much as possible – and I’m inclined to agree.”
Grandson George decided against going to university in favour of the BBA’s flagship boatbuilding course.
He said: “It’s been an amazing experience. But it wouldn’t have happened at all if I hadn’t been able to get bursaries towards the cost of the training, most notably from the BBA itself. I’m now looking forward to taking the skills I have learned here to enter a career in boatbuilding. I will always be hugely grateful for the top class training I have received.”
Also on the course was retired racing car driver John Spicer, who has swapped horsepower for sail power.
John was a designer for motor racing giants Williams and Benetton in the ‘70s and played a key role in the creation of legendary competition cars such as the Metro 6R4 and Jaguar XJR- keen astrolo14. He also helped to set diesel-powered speed records at Bonneville, which will probably stand forever.
“It’s been a learning curve working with wood instead of metal, but it’s a challenge I have enjoyed very much,” he shared.
“It was great to finally put Jupiter in the water yesterday with some of my fellow students. I had a great team helping me and when I think about the start of the course, and what we have all gone on to achieve it’s pretty amazing.”
Student Hannah Blake came to the BBA after illness forced her out of a successful career crewing on Tall Ships. She says the course has shown her that her ongoing disability won’t stop her future success:
“Covid and pneumonia stopped me from working at sea full time and I joined the course hoping to add to my skills. It has done that and so much more. The tutoring has been outstanding, as has the whole course experience.”
The latest launch was attended by dozens of friends, family members and representatives from Heritage Crafts and Victory Live: The Big Repair.
Also on display, but not quite ready for launch was a 16ft (4.9m) composite foam-core and glued clinker lightweight dinghy, a hybrid design by BBA tutor Justin Adkins, and alongside it the 18ft Hillyard 2.5 ton gaff sloop ‘Decibel’, which was originally built in 1935 and bequeathed last year to the BBA by the estate of its late owner, Richard Coleman, whose last wish was that his beloved boat should be restored by students.
