In February 2024 Peter Matheson, builder of traditional Scottish boats and his volunteer team, took on a new project at their boatyard near Glasgow.
Listen to boat builder Peter Matheson, trainee boat builder Murray Morrant and Nick Grainger of The Aegre, chatting about the boat being built, in September 2024 when they visited the nearby studio of Sunny G Radio in Govan, Glasgow, https://www.mixcloud.com/SunnyG103/book-boat-24-sept-2024/
Below, and on the following pages, are the latest updates from Peter and his team on the progress with the boat.
10 May 2025: Photos from Murray Morrant (click to enlarge)
Peter Matheson has been working on the forward cuddy assisted by Murray Morant, Emily Thorpe and some new volunteers. According to Peter there will be sitting headroom below, a cooker, possibly a sink, perhaps even a sea toilet. Good length bunks will extend under the side decks. The hatch is quite large and when open will give more room except when it’s raining and closed. Meanwhile the sails have been ordered.
26 April 2025: Photos from Lorraina Matheson (click to enlarge)
During April Peter has been working on the deck, cockpit and deck house, see pics above.
Regarding the sealing between the planks Peter commented, “I have put poly-sulphate rubber between the planks. I do not like using modern stuff like that. However time is going on and I must cut some corners. The Buddhist monks say do not aim for perfection. Aim for success and this is what we must do.”
Peter is aiming to take American Lady (I’m pretty sure on a trailer) to the Glenglassaugh Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, 27-29 June 2025. I wish I could be there.
30 March 2025, photos by Matthew Joyce. Click to enlarge.
For the last month Peter has enjoyed and appreciated the company and help of Eleonor Pichon, a French boat building student, but she has now returned to France. Over the last many years Peter has freely given his time to boat building students like Eleonor. It’s worked both ways, he likes the company and the help, and more than that they came to his rescue a few years ago.
His previous workshop was burnt to the ground, but then a stalwart group of young French people (previous students) came over at their own expense and built him a brand new workshop at no cost to him. The materials were paid for by Crowd Funding. All his the tools were replaced by the local people, free. As he says, “There are a lot of good people in this world.”
Ironically Peter is now being asked by the Westminster government for £490 for every foreign student he provides free tuition to. “You couldn’t make it up,” he says, “To avoid it I must now change the status of my workshop to that of ‘An Old Man’s Shed,’ then I will be able to welcome French and other nationalities into my workshop ‘For a cup of tea etc.’ I’m 78 years old now and still wish to pass on my skills and experience to other people. It’s a sad day for Scotland when an English parliament says an old man mustn’t teach traditional skills to his friends from abroad unless he pays the Westminster Government £490 for each student.”
Meanwhile progress on American Lady continues. The next big job is putting splines into the deck instead of calking. Fitting the wash strake, fitting the ‘Yanmar’ engine, making the spars etc.
23 March 2025, photos taken by Lorraina Matheson. Click to enlarge.
To see earlier pictures and commentary on the build select a page below.
