Battle commences as Ardglass is first to get skiff in water

Battle commences as Ardglass is first to get skiff in water

10 September 2014

ARDGLASS has got a vital head start in the boat building and rowing competition which is gripping village communities around Strangford Lough.

The team of boat builders from Ardglass is the first to get their St. Ayles skiff in the water, giving them an important psychological advantage over the eight other teams.

The nine villages from Lecale and the Ards peninsula — Killyleagh, Strangford, Dundrum, Portaferry, Kircubbin, Portavogie, Ballywalter, Donaghadee and Ardglass — were all given identical kits of the popular Scottish St. Ayles skiff and challenged to build a boat which will then be raced in inaugural Narrows Challenge at the start of October.

The Narrows Challenge is being organised by the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership (SLLP) after local PSNI constable, Nick Jenkins, first came up with the idea of developing community rowing.

On Sunday morning, the 22 foot ‘Ardglass’ was launched by a devoted team of builders who watched as the four oar craft was taken on her first ‘sea trials’ around the bay close to the harbour.

One of the key people in the Ardglass team if Rickey Le Bloas, a boat builder of many years experience. “The Ardglass team had a late start but we were determined not to be left behind in the race for the water,” he said.

“Once we found a place to build the boat, it was full steam ahead”.

The Ardglass team leader is William Mulhall, who said the team has worked hard to get the boat to launching stage.

“It was great to see how everyone pulled so hard together to make the project forge ahead. No sooner did the kit arrive than they had it looking like a boat.”

For the Ardglass team this is a particularly great achievement as they only took delivery of their kit eight weeks ago, after securing premises from Hendersons to build the boat and present their exhibition at the harbour. After a slow start, the Ardglass team made a tremendous effort to catch up with the other teams.

The boat, a St Ayles’ Skiff, requires about 800 man hours to build and is very challenging, but the level of interest within the community and support between communities involved in the project has so far been inspiring.

The marine ply kits are designed to give non specialists a chance to get involved but at the same time produce a high quality boat that makes even experienced boat builders proud to be involved.

Constable Jenkins thinks the rowing skiff project is building a great sense of community spirit in the area.

“We are really delighted to be involved in this project,” he said. “The PSNI are frequent visitors to all the boat building premises and it is great to see the progress which is being made.

“It has been especially impressive to see how young people have worked alongside older members of the team and have been given some sense of ownership of the displays at Ardglass”.

Caroline Nolan, from the SLLP, was really impressed with how Ardglass had involved their community.

“Not only did they build a boat but they also kept it on display to the public throughout the build along with an excellent exhibition of their maritime heritage,” she said.

Now that Ardglass is in the water, shortly before the launch of the other skiffs, the next stage is finding rowers to crew them.

During the month of September training is being provided by the Sea Cadets for anyone wanting to develop their technique on a first come, first served basis.

The only requirement is that rowers join the Down Coastal Rowing Club, an umbrella club for the boat building and rowing teams, for a nominal fee of £5. Membership is free for those under the age of 18 and is open to 11 year-olds and older.

The Club’s website will soon be on-line but in the meantime check out the Facebook page on f: downcoastalrowing to see all the training times and dates that are available.

For further information contact Susan McClay at the SLLP office in Portaferry, telephone 028 427 28886 or mail susan.mcclay@strangfordlough.org.

The first Narrows Challenge races will take place on October 5 across the Narrows of Strangford Lough and in Castle Ward Bay.

Ardglass councillor Dermot Curran has paid tribute to the people involved in the building of the skiff in the village, particularly the young people.

“I was struck by the number of young people who attended the launch of the skiff and who have been involved in the construction. It presents an excellent image of the community spirit within the village and is a credit to all the people involved,” he said.