Exciting news from Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB), who launch the first episode in their ‘British Boatbuilders Tour 2023’ on Friday 6th October, available to view on the WIBB YouTube channel here.
Episode 1 – The South Coast – is released on Friday 6th October at 7pm, with subsequent episodes released weekly. Episode 2 covers Cornwall, while Episode 3 focusses on the East Coast. Each short programme has been created from a tour of boatyards this summer by filmmaker and American Fellowship student Annie Means in collaboration with directors of Women in Boatbuilding Belinda Joslin and Amy Stringfellow. Means interviewed and filmed women boatbuilders at work, with the aim of creating a snapshot of their experiences in the industry.
The yards featured range in scale from large production boatyards like Sunseeker and Oyster Yachts to small, new start-ups and independent boatbuilders like BlueTree Boat Builders and Abbey Boat Builder. The episodes showcase the work of women in a diverse set of roles – from cover makers to shipwrights, laminators to electricians.
Several yards that were approached have no women working hands-on, some have 1 in 100+ and some are yards owned and run by the women that were interviewed. All boatbuilders were asked the same questions, with the focus on their skills and work. However, many also talked about their gender in relation to their work, so the interviews are an honest and insightful reflection of some inspiring women.
‘The one thing all boatbuilders we spoke to have in common is their passion about their jobs and their conviction that there is a place for everyone in the industry,’ explains Belinda Joslin, founder of WIBB.
The aim of the tour was to create content which shares the skills and experiences of women in boatbuilding and the work they are doing, to inspire others and further grow the community of women who are working hands-on in yards. ‘If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.’
