Welcome to Trouts Boat Yard

W. Trout & Son Ltd, Ferry Road, Topsham, Exeter, Devon, EX3 0JJ

UP DATED 17.3.10 - The Whitehall Skiff nealy finished & ready for sale - A rare opportunity to own a hand crafted traditionally built wooden boat see below for further information on the build - Finished Stern Thwart Finished bow detail Back to Wooden boat building - Jason, an American, joins us In early autumn we were approached by Jason Virok, a Californian wooden boat builder looking for loacl work. Jason is a graduate of the Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding on the docks of Sausalito, California. Jason had come to the UK with his English wife Victoria who has a job at Escot Park and daughter Ayla (3). The family were looking for a place to live near the water and a job for Jason, so found us in Topsham! At the time we had the stem of De Tukker to repair and the possibility of further wooden repair work. Jason carried out the stem repair but there was a delay of some weeks before the next wood repair was agreed. Jason had a project to build a clinker 17ft rowing and sailing skiff. He had already started to work the keel, stern board and stem, and once in our work shop rapidly assembled the moulds and fitted the stern board and stem to the keel. The planks were then steamed to fit around the moulds. The sight of a wooden skiff being built in the workshop alongside our other repair work is exciting a lot of delight and comment! The moulds set up on the frame The moulds from the bow The skiff is larch on oak fastened with copper rivets, built along the lines of a Whitehall dinghy, plans taken from William Gardner. The keel topped with the hog plank to receive the garboard plank Jason at work, drilling hood ends to the stem Nailed with roves fitted awaiting riviting 4 planks up and taking shape Mid January & the hull is complete to the top plank, the sheer strake. The completed hull from the bow It is being built on spec.! So, we hope either a keen traditional boat owner or possibly a group of boat owners will wish to own this exceptional and very pretty skiff to enjoy its exciting qualities.... Skiff nearly complete -------------- Jason is also carring out repairs to Pegasus, a 60ft, Bristol Pilot Cutter built by the Bristol Classic Boat Company 2007/2008 for The Island Trust, an Exeter based Charity of 36 years. The damage is to the aft port quarter bulwark Pegasus repair in progress on a cold & frosty morning The Trust has been sending disadvantaged young people sailing, both in dinghies and off shore. Pegasus, which follows in a long line of the famous Bristol Pilot Cutters is extremely pretty and fast, having won one leg of the Tall Ships Race in her class, as well as coming second overall last summer. The Trust continues to send beneficiaries dinghy sailing in Salcombe based on the converted Mersey Ferry, the Egremont, which is owned by the Island Cruising Club. For details of the Trust see www.theislandtrust.org.uk, a for the Pegasus www.islandcutter.co.uk. More information and pictures to follow as the build & repair progresses - -------------------------------------
Dave Brooks, the Single Handed Ocean Rower - is launched from Topsham Quay by W Trout & Son for his capsize & first row on the Exe. On Sunday 7th June we were pleased to assist Dave by launching his specially designed boat from Topsham Quay and then assisting him to capsize it with Dave inside. All went very well! Dave's challenged himself to row the Atlantic Ocean, THEN, so long as his boat and body are in one piece, to continue across the Caribbean to Panama, and then journey out across the Pacific Ocean to Australia Dave takes the first few strokes as he rows away from Topsham Quay A good start and we wish him well! For more information go to Dave's own site www.davebrookssolo.co.uk -------------------
Stunning holiday location for you, the family & your Rib or Sports Boat Explore the Exe Estuary, internationally famous for its wildlife and the Jurassic Coast a world heritage site, from your comfortable holiday accommodation in the historic old port town of Topsham near Exeter in Devon. Topsham offers many interesting small shops, restaurants and inns, a Saturday morning market, the Topsham Museum, river and town walks or just a quiet place to watch the world go by and the sun to set from Topsham Quay. W Trout & Son Ltd have linked with Pebblebed House, located the other side of Ferry Road behind the boatyard, and the Globe Hotel just up the Church steps from the boatyard to provide a place on the water for your rib. Trout’s will launch and recover your rib, provide a visitor berth and storage for your trailer for a week for £195.00. Please visit the Pebblebed House and the Globe Hotel websites for their information. Websites to plan your holiday from: Pebblebed House – www.pebblebedhouse.co.uk The Globe Hotel – www.globehotel.com Topsham - www.topsham.org Exe Estuary Partnership - www.exe-estuary.org Jurassic Coast - www.jurassiccoast.com ---------------------
Trouts Quay Autumn work - Back to normal, boats in storage - updated 6th December 2008 The last pour of concrete to the gate went in on Thursday, 27th November and the quay was finished off during following week. We were right to grab the opportunity and get this work done. Once the old concrete top was taken off the true state of the hard core was revealed and it was not good! Our grateful thanks to Alan Sands of Sands Engineering Consultants, Andy Bailey and his team from A B Special Projects who worked so hard and looked after us and our neighbours during the whole project. Also to Andrew Thomas of Saxton Piling Ltd and his team of Cornish men, who drove up and back every day and worked so hard to get the piling done. We are full of admiration of you all.
The yard cleared and ready to start work on. We had a couple of weeks to get to this point and it was a bit of push! At the end of the 1st day and the top is broken up ready to be taken away to crushed so that it can be brought back to repack as hard core where needed. At the end of the 1st week the top is cleared and ready for the drilling team. The Drilling Teams came from Cornwall every day, drilled down, then lined the holes and filled them with steel and concrete The view through the office window! When we were not covered in tarpaulin to protect the buildings from the flying mud. Oh dear what a lot of mud! Cutting the trenchs to lay the beams in between the piles under the crane pad at the front, then re-enforcing steel was tied in and the concrete poured. The completed crane pad, all pristine! Re-enforcing steel on the completed crane pad waiting to be laid in and tied for the rest of the concrete slab. The bed of steel work waiting for the concrete pour. The concrete is poured from the concrete mixer through a pump to the long red arm which takes it out to where it has to go! The last pour of concrete is in, looking like a lake! Attention to detail, each edge was ironed out and smoothed off. Looking out across the quay from the gate on Saturday 29th November 2008. A job well done - THANKS 6th December 2008 - Getting back to normal, boats ashore in storage and to be worked on!
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