Laxey: New community rowing project is for all, founders say

The founders of a new community rowing project launched on the Isle of Man hope it will help people to reconnect with the sea.

The team from the Laxey Community Skiff Building Project built a 22ft (6.7m) boat over 11 months.

Project coordinator Alan Kneen said volunteers including a driving instructor and a retired doctor had helped to craft the St Ayles Skiff.

Groups from all backgrounds could now sail it for fitness or fun, he said.

The inspiration for the project came from a Scottish scheme to get people back in touch with the sea and preserve boat building techniques.

It is thought more than 500 Skiffs have now been built across the world as community projects since 2009 in places including Australia, Canada and the Netherlands.

The triskelion symbol features on the Manx Skiff

After securing a shed in Laxey from Garff Commissioners, the team took a kit of pre-shaped ply, and a timber cutting list, and crafted the materials into the Skiff named Teeval, which means mermaid in Manx Gaelic.

Mr Kneen said a "good bunch" of volunteers spent 11 months building, carving and varnishing the boat, as well as adding Manx touches such as the triskelion.

Launched for the first time in Laxey in early December, Mr Kneen said he and fellow volunteer Mark Buttery had "wanted something that was easy to row", which the team had achieved.

The newly formed Laxey Coastal Rowing Club aim to build two more Skiffs

Teeval is the first of three Skiffs set to be built to start the Laxey Coastal Rowing Club, and the team are calling for volunteers to lend a hand with future builds in the shed.

Once the trio of boats has been constructed, the club hope to organise races on island, and also travel to compete and join regattas in Scotland and Ireland.

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