F P Crowell Boatbuilder
I am a boatbuilder and repairer who, from 1962 to 1980, was a time-served apprentice at Robsons of South Shields, working on traditional wooden boats, building ships' lifeboats, Trinity House tenders, foy boats, fishing vessels, pilot boats and harbour launches. I now operate from a boatshed with a slipway which can take vessels from 45 foot long, with a 14 foot beam. The top height clearance from cradle to roof is 21 foot aft and 18 foot 6 inches forward. The cradle is lowered down the slipway for entry to the boatshed at high tide, the boat is allowed to settle on the cradle and then hauled