Meeting Ben Lucas - 25.3.2015 by Julia Jones

Punts racing off the Stour Sailing Club 2003 Regatta

Ben Lucas is 22. It's easy to assume that a young man of that age will have spent most of his childhood indoors hunched in front of a screen blasting aliens or engaged in virtual high-speed car chases. It wasn't like that for Ben. He was born in Harwich, although the family soon moved to Bradfield, where he grew up, as well as in Manningtreee – all beside the beautiful River Stour. Ben is part of the Lucas family who have been winning the unique sailing punt races at Manningtree regatta for the last hundred years. Sailing punts had been in the area for centuries before that. They have big sprit sails but no rudder or centreboard and were originally used for punt-gunning and eel-fishing in the shallow waters of the Stour.

Ben working on one of the floors
for the Trinity House tender

 Ben did not take up punt-sailing but spent many hours of his childhood standing in the river, usually on Bradfield beach, sometimes up to mischief with his friends, sometimes looking out for evidence of young bass at low water. “As soon as the gulls began to dive, you'd rush over there and chuck in your line. You'd maybe get three or four and then the bass would move and the gulls would follow and you'd follow them.”

His father had a 16' dory, and a friend had a caravan and a barbecue, so every day could be spent on the beach in the school holidays. He was so deeply suntanned he looked like Mowgli, he said. He remembers an especially good birthday present of a knife with a serrated edge and a gadget to undo shackles. As Ben grew up he helped his father with the game-keeping on the local estate. He learned to shoot and was invited on friends and family pheasant shooting days as well as wild-fowling and clay-pigeon shooting. There was a moment of disruption in this happy rural childhood when his parents split up but Ben was determined to stay local to Manningtree. Even when home was directly opposite the Harwich School he made the trip to Manningtree every day to continue attending school there.

Ben liked school. He wasn't especially academic but was happy in the environment and knew he would miss it when he left. He did labouring jobs in the summer and got his 5 GCSEs at A* - C. At 16 he moved to attend Otley College to do what he had thought was a game-keeping course but turned out to be more agriculture and conservation. He made good friends during his year at Otley, then moved to Suffolk New College to study motor cycle mechanics. Ever since he'd been a child Ben had loved taking things to pieces to see how they worked. Now he was learning to put them back together again. A parking job (he's good at backing trailers) at Suffolk Yacht Harbour at Levington led Ben to realise that outboard motors were not so very different from motorcycle engines laid on their sides so he began working in a marine workshop there.

A section of planking completed by Ben

Ben was 18-19. This was his first adult job. The work was busy and varied. It could be dirty, when replacing wheel-bearings in a seized up trailer for instance. Ben's very tall (it's a family characteristic) and, while that was a help in making it possible for him to do quite a number of heavy jobs unaided, it could be quite a squash getting into cuddies and cramped engine rooms. Ben recalled the delight of being able to get out on the water and test an engine in whatever power-boat he'd just finished servicing.

Ben, through no fault of his own, left this first job in quite difficult circumstances and had very little to show for a year's hard work – except invaluable experience. A bleak period followed. Ben's father had moved to Portsmouth so he worked a while there, subcontracting. That was time-limited and anyway Ben's life still centred on the Manningtree area, so he came home and existed as best he could on casual work and the dole. He remains angry about the number of employers who don't even bother to acknowledge a CV or a job application when someone is struggling and doing their utmost to find work.

Discussing a problem with
Harker's Yard shipwright, Mick

The Job Centre put him in contact with the Prince's Trust who, at that time were running regular taster courses in partnership with Pioneer. “Loads of us came for the trial sessions,” Ben recalls, “But when we were told we had to stay two nights on the boat, most of them dropped like flies.” Ben worked for about six weeks in the yard and working on joinery. He had never done any carpentry before and particularly remembers the impression made on him by Jim, Pioneer's skipper, with his extreme carefulness and attention to detail. That's a quality Ben recognises in himself and it was a very good moment when Felicity called him into the office and said “We'd like you to stay.”

Now Ben is nearing the end of his time as an apprentice at Harker's Yard. He still sees himself as likely to be working in something like mechanics or agriculture or anything connected with his beloved sport of shooting but he has learning some important things that he knows will help in the future, whatever he does. He has discovered that he likes learning – of all the apprentices he is the first to compile his NVQ folder and he's proud of that. He knows he likes working with other people, being part of a project, and earning respect. He doesn't like blame culture; he likes finding a problem and suggesting a way to fix it. He likes the sense of community at Harker's Yard “There are no strangers here.” While he's ready to “flee the nest” he knows he'll miss Pioneer – and he hopes that the others will miss him too. “I tell them, they'll never find anything once I'm gone. I'm organised. I know where things are kept.”  

Transferable skills - Ben has been making a new stock for a family heirloom shotgun.
Here he explains different sizes.

Meeting Charlie 25.2.2015 by Julia Jones

Charlie on Pioneer (under her winter cover)

“She's so big. It's amazing. I haven't been on board since I was in primary school. I'd forgotten how big she is...” Charlie first met Pioneer when he was at Brightlingsea Junior School. He was probably in year 5 or 6 when he and his class gathered at the Colne Yacht Club  to split up into groups and take turns going on board the half dozen or so vessels that had been collected for them. He can't now remember the other boats that were there that day – it was Pioneer who made the lasting 

impression.

Looking aft

Quite often when you revisit something as an adult, which you first encountered as a child, you're surprised how small it is – but Charlie was completely right: Pioneer in winter, standing proud out of the water, with her decks completely clear under her head-high cover, is impressive in an entirely new way. You see her lines and her shapeliness, feel the strength of her construction – that gorgeous long keel...

I asked Charlie whether he was looking forward to sailing Pioneer this summer and wasn't at all surprised by the enthusiasm of his response. I also admired the fact that he'd already volunteered to work as an extra hand on board the smack when the Brightlingsea youth club offers some local youngsters a chance of a few days away. When Charlie was younger it was the youth club that first took him fishing. Now he sees a chance to help others in return.

Personally, I've never been all that keen on fishing (scared of the hooks, I think) but it was a real pleasure listening to Charlie talk about the sport, especially when he was describing the peacefulness of reservoir carp fishing when you've got to relax and stay quiet for the sake of all the other people who are fishing there. And the great moment if you catch something big, weigh it, photograph it, then put it back into the water, holding it carefully in your arms while it regains breath. Then you watch as it swims away. Charlie also fishes off Bateman's with a float and ragworms; he goes out after bass with his step-dad in a fibreglass boat with an outboard motor and he made me laugh with his account of fishing for mackerel with his dad in Scotland and the seal who lurks ready to grab the fishermen's catches as they're hauling in their lines.

Charlie is the newest apprentice at Harkers Yard. After Brightlingsea Junior he moved on to secondary school and hated it. It wasn't his sort of learning. He hated sitting behind a desk all day listening to people talk. School improved a bit when he took resistant materials as one of his options but still he was glad to leave at 16 and wasn't all that surprised that none of his GCSEs achieved more than a C.

Charlie with Aiden, looking at the
mock steaming device Aiden has made
for the Eastern Angles production Oysters

Now it's perfectly obvious, when talking to Charlie, that he's a thoughtful chap with a lot to offer and quite capable of learning when it's approached in the way that suits him. After he left school he worked for a flooring company and a scrap yard and a carpet fitting firm. Last summer he gave education another try, signing up for a plumbing course at the local FE college. But it was just like school again and Charlie found he was having real trouble motivating himself to get out of bed to catch the bus and go into Colchester to sit behind a desk all day …

Fortunately he met Abbey, who'll soon be completing her apprenticeship at Harkers Yard, and she persuaded him to get in touch with operations manager Felicity. Charlie had a chat, came down for an interview, passed the aptitude tests, did a couple of days work experience before Christmas and started full-time on Jan 12th. So far he's made his tool box and a paddle, helped with scraping out one of the gigs and got involved in the regular yard pranks and banter (see Abbey's blogpost). On Monday of this week (Feb 23rd) he competed his six week's probation and PST tutor John told him he'd been accepted for the next two years.

Jake and Charlie, showing
part of the scenery made by
Jake for Eastern Angles Oysters

This does, of course, mean he'll be taking lessons again – Monday and Wednesday mornings with John (alongside fellow apprentices Tyler and Tariq) and then weekly to Colchester Institute for foundation skills – but he doesn't seem too worried about the prospect. He had me enthralled telling me what PST tutor John had told him about the number of oak trees that had been felled to build HMS Victory. He's moved away from home and into lodgings and is getting to grips with the regular routine of getting to work promptly at 8am without anyone else needing to nag him.

Within the next week or two Charlie will begin to learn how to lay up the next gig and it'll be Tyler will helping him while Tariq joins the oar-makers. There are deadlines to be met in the yard and there are the fundamental patterns of activity – laying up a gig, lifting it off its plug, fitting it out and sending it on – just as there are the seasonal patterns of laying up, fitting out and crew-carrying for Pioneer herself. But within that overall working structure, Charlie finds that every day is different. 

That's certainly true at the moment. Ivan Cutting, founder and artistic director of the Eastern Angles Theatre company has written a new play, Oysters, based on oral history interviews and the 'Land and Sea' work of the Pioneer Sailing Trust, particularly the current restoration of the smack Priscilla. Oysters is currently in rehearsal ready for its opening on March 11th and then its three month spring tour of East Anglia. At the moment Jake is busy making scenery to Rosie Alabaster's design. Aiden has produced a mock-up of a steamer and Pioneer's skipper, Jim, has fashioned a replica tiller.

Oysters will come to Harker's Yard on May 7th.

Rosie Alabaster's design

Jake's construction

Aiden's blog, written by Julia Jones

Aiden- one of his first trips on board Pioneer as crew

A bitter wind was whipping down the creek bringing scatters of rain and the threat of worse weather to come. Pioneer was standing high above the mud under her winter covers and I took several several cold exhilarating breaths of the sharp winter air before retreating into Harkers Yard to curl my hands round a warm cup of tea and talk to Aiden Lateward about his two years as an apprentice here.

Aiden studied cabinet making at college after he left school. That convinced him that he loved working with his hands and specifically working with wood but the jobs available in the furniture industry were mainly machine based. He spent two years restoring donated furniture for the charity Emmaeus until someone gave him a 'kick up the arse' (his words) and convinced hm to carry on developing his skills. Boats are wood, boats have curves (unlike most modern furniture) – learning to build boats offered a possible way forward.

After a false start with the Mayflower Project in Harwich (then only at the workshop-building stage) Aiden found his way to Brightlingsea and to Harker's Yard. He fell for the place and the work and the atmosphere immediately “I need to be here,” he thought. Aiden was interviewed and accepted, then found himself spending his first fortnight on board Pioneer scraping her decks. This was two years ago in Feburary 2013. It should have been enough to put anybody off. There was snow and a bitter wind, whipping down the creek ….

Aiden modelling traditional clothing worn by smacks-men 

Aiden filled his big boots with socks – four pairs, he recalls + two pairs trousers, T-shirt, jumpers, two coats, hat, scarf, gloves – and carried on scraping,. He met John Yarr, then first mate and Jim, the skipper. He asked them whether there was any chance he could try a sail sometime. As soon as the smack was ready to go back in commission they got Aiden setting up her rigging with them. He'd never sailed before but was often out on Pioneer during that first summer, and also sailed on board the smaller Brightlingsea Smack, Iris Mary CK105. It was an extraordinary moment when his mother suddenly discovered that his fifth great uncle, Joseph Alexander had been master and owner of Pioneer sometime in the late c19th. Aiden wondered whether he had been 'meant' to come to Harker's Yard.

Apprentice trip to St Katherine's dock

In August 2013 Aiden was one of a group of apprentices who brought Pioneer back from Gosport in time for Ipswich Maritime Festival. He volunteered to stay on board over the festival (with the help of a free beer voucher). When she left to take a group of visitors to the Walton Backwaters Aiden went with her as volunteer relief bosun. He's since been working towards his watch leader's qualification and dreams of sailing on board a tall ship one day.

Keeping a look out on the way into London

Meanwhile, back in the workshop, Aiden was laying up the mold for the next gig. He describes this as a job which tests your mettle as it's so repetitive and technically undemanding yet the quality is vital. It was summer and the glue was stickier than ever. Aiden got glue on his arms and legs, on his new Pioneer t-shirt, in his hair, up his nose. Then the gig had to be taken off the mold and placed in the cradle ready for fitting out – and Aiden's task was to scrape out all the glue residue, the classic newcomer's job in the workshop. The heat gun burned his fingers regularly but all the time he was enjoying learning the different curves of the gig, how they worked together, how the idea of the gig had been developed and designed. Aiden likes wood, likes feeling its tolerances, practising his skills until they become an instinctive part of him.

Currently Aiden's making his second set of oars and is confident that they are better than his first set (something to do with the size of the handles). He's enjoyed being part of an apprentices team rowing Matchless and spoke with real feeling about the pleasure of making something, using it and also seeing it being used by the local communities. The gig-rowing and racing bring so many people together. Aiden's here at Harker's Yard until December. By then he'll have his watch leader's qualification and his NVQ level 3 in marine engineering and yacht building.  He already has level 3 in cabinet-making. So what will he do then – look for a job locally, with Spirit Yachts in Ipswich, perhaps? Work in a boatyard abroad? Join the Merchant Navy? Sail a tall ship? He knows he likes working with wood, working on the water, working with people. There are plenty of possibilities.

Aiden driving Pioneer's tender

Two years on - Aiden Lateward 28.1.2015

Pioneer in winter - with an on-board workshop

A bitter wind was whipping down the creek bringing scatters of rain and the threat of worse weather to come. Pioneer was standing high above the mud under her winter covers and I took several several exhilarating breaths of the sharp winter air before retreating into Harkers Yard to curl my hands round a warm cup of tea and talk to Aiden Lateward about his two years as an apprentice here.

Aiden studied cabinet making at college after he left school. That convinced him that he loved working with his hands and specifically working with wood but the jobs available in the furniture industry were mainly machine based. He spent two years restoring donated furniture for the charity Emmaeus until someone gave him a 'kick up the arse' (his words) and convinced hm to carry on developing his skills. Boats are wood, boats have curves (unlike most modern furniture) – learning to build boats offered a possible way forward.

Bleak view at Brightlingsea

After a false start with the Mayflower Project in Harwich (then only at the workshop-building stage) Aiden found his way to Brightlingsea and Harker's Yard. He fell for the place and the work and the atmosphere immediately “I need to be here,” he thought. Aiden was interviewed and accepted, then found himself spending his first fortnight on board Pioneer scraping her decks. This was two years ago in February 2013. It should have been enough to put anybody off. There was snow and a bitter wind, whipping down the creek ….

Aiden filled his big boots with socks – four pairs, he recalls + two pairs trousers, T-shirt, jumpers, two coats, hat, scarf, gloves – and carried on scraping,. He met John Yarr, then first mate and Jim, the skipper. He asked them whether there was any chance he could try a sail sometime. As soon as the smack was ready to go back in commission they got Aiden setting up her rigging with them. He'd never sailed before but was often out on Pioneer during that first summer, and also sailed on board the smaller Brightlingsea Smack, Iris Mary, CK105. It was an extraordinary moment when his mother suddenly discovered that his fifth great uncle, Joseph Alexander, had been master and owner of Pioneer sometime in the late c19th. 

 Aiden is using one of Liam's oars
as his model (3rd from left)

In August 2013 Aiden was one of a group of apprentices who brought Pioneer back from Gosport (where a group of young carers had been taking part in the Round the Island race) to Ipswich Maritime Festival. He volunteered to stay on board over the festival (with the help of a free beer voucher). When the smack left to take a family group to the Walton Backwaters Aiden went with her as volunteer relief bosun. He's since been working towards his watch leader's qualification and dreams of sailing on board a tall ship one day.

Aiden at work

Meanwhile, back in the workshop, Aiden was laying up the plug for the next gig. He describes this as a job which tests your mettle; it's so repetitive and technically undemanding yet the quality is vital. It was summer and the glue was stickier than ever. He got glue on his arms and legs, on his new Pioneer t-shirt, in his hair, up his nose. Then the gig had to be taken off the plug and placed in the cradle ready for fitting out – and Aiden's task was to scrape out all the glue residue, the classic newcomer's job in the workshop. The heat gun burned his fingers but all the time he was enjoying learning the different curves of the gig, how they worked together, how the idea of the gig had been developed and designed. Aiden likes wood, likes feeling its tolerances, practising his skills until they become an instinctive part of him.

A hollowing plane

Currently Aiden's making his second set of oars and is confident that they are better than his first set (something to do with the size of the handles). He's enjoyed being part of an apprentices' team, rowing the Harker's Yard gig, Matchless and he spoke with real feeling about the pleasure of making something, using it and also seeing it being used by the local communities. The gig-rowing and racing bring so many people together. Aiden's here until December. By then he'll have his watch leader's qualification and his NVQ level 3 in marine engineering and yacht building. He already has level 3 in cabinet-making. So what will he do then – look for a job locally? Work in a boatyard abroad? Join the Merchant Navy? Sail a tall ship? He knows now that he he likes working with wood, working on the water, working with people. That should give him plenty of options. 

The New Boys By Abbey Molyneux

The New Boys

By Abbey Molyneux

The time has finally come, much to mine and Jakes relief we are no longer the new kids on the block! I’ve always had the reputation of collecting up old tools that everyone else writes off as rubbish, much to Charlie’s amusement. Not a day goes by where he doesn’t run through the door with a rusty old spanner he’s dredged up from an old bilge shouting “ Ere Abbey, du want this? You like all this old rubbish don’t ya!”. Not only that but I seem to have been labelled as a bit of a pikey as well, which I suppose is fair enough. If there’s a pile of off cuts or some rusty metal lying around I’m usually not far behind with a bucket collecting up anything vaguely useful. As for Jake, well, it can be hard not to take the mick out of Jake, even I participate in this. When he first started he was a bit like Dopey from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, living only 2 streets away from the Pioneer he drives in every morning with his music blaring and still manages to turn up late most days, despite living the closest to work out of all of us. Me n Aidan concocted a plan just last week after Jake had brought in £30’s worth of Sharpie’s (marker pens) he had won in a raffle. He was adamant that we weren’t to try and steal them but by the end of the day we had hidden the whole lot in a deflated dust extractor and after much persuasion we managed to lure him up stairs and get him to flick the switch on the extractor, launching all the pens into mid-air and scattering round the workshop floor like a broken rainbow…he didn’t look to pleased but after 5 or 10 minutes he looked at us both with a smirk on his face and said “Banteeerrrr!”. Although just so you don’t think were being mean…Jake is never short of snidey comments about my recycled skateboard shelves and the 60’s fridge I have proudly placed in my dining room as a drinks cupboard.

Now The New Boys have arrived it has finally taken the pressure off me and Jake, we’ve got new people to include in the Banter. Little Charlie didn’t make it easy for himself, on his first day here he practically jumped in the skip and started hoiking out copper wiring with a cheeky pikey like grin on his face. On his second day he had bought and old catalytic converter off Big Charlie and within 2 days had doubled his money down the scrap yard. So Little Charlie has certainly taken my place as resident pikey…now

I can sneak round filling up my ruck sack and know body notices. When Jake and Liam left the gig workshop to make their oars there was a silence…I couldn’t believe it. It was like music to my ears, no more South Park quotes or bad willy jokes, all you could hear was the rain pattering on the roof it was lovely. Then Tariq and Tyler started and the silence was gone. Now the room is filled with commentary on who killed who and who drove what on Grand Theft Auto last night. And of course Tariq FM Tune in any time between 8 and 4 to hear the bad renditions of bad 80’s songs with a hint of Taylor Swift (if you’re really unlucky)

Although we all have a moan now and again, the banter in this place is what keeps it so entertaining. It wouldn’t be the same without the willy jokes and bad karaoke and lets face it if Jake turned up on time every day, we’d have to think of a new morning joke. Its great having new people on the team, were constantly rotating and constantly learning and that’s why we’re all here.