The Women in Boatbuilding Team had an amazing time at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2024, sharing their stories and skills and having a great time. 
We were blown away with the whole festival and place - will write a longer highlights blog post when I've recovered from jet lag but just wanted to say THANK YOU PORT TOWNSEND!
Team Included:
Obi Oji - Blue Tree Boatbuilders - UK
Sydney Fassam - Sunseeker International - UK
Abbey Molyneux - Abbey Boatbuilder - UK
Christine MAcPheat - Canada
Gaia Brojanigo - Broja Woodworking - Italy
Belinda Joslin - UK
Heike Lowenstein - UK 

The WIBB team are going stateside in September! We've been asked to create some Women in Boatbuilding events at this amazing festival, and we can't wait to meet all the women there working in marine trades...

Since the festival organisers first asked us to attend to create a WIBB panel, our events and level of involvement have grown and grown. There are now 7 women from different countries, backgrounds and trades coming in to be a part of the festival.... to give talks, demos, presentations, tours, events, meet like-minded people, share stories, make friends and celebrate the craft we all love. 

We can't wait! Thank you so much Barb, Kaci and Diana for inviting us and we can't wait to meet you in person!

So great to report that the BBA have had a huge uplift in the number of women studying boatbuilding there - partly down to our collaboration :) Press release from BBA below...and an amazing image that says it all. So chuffed. 

​Opportunities for women boat builders growing thanks to the BBA.
 
A year after implementing its new Diversity and Inclusivity mission, the Boat Building Academy and Furniture School (BBA) in Lyme Regis is seeing encouraging results, with female enrolments rising from zero to 25 per cent on some courses.
 
Founded in 1997 by naval commander Tim Gedge, the BBA situated on Monmouth Beach is a professional training institution that teaches both modern and traditional boat-building methods. 
 
Will Reed became the Director and Co-Chair of Trustees of the academy in 2019 and made it a priority to increase opportunities for women students, not only at the Boat Building Academy, but also across the wider industry.
 
Alongside a bursary scheme available to all, a bursary scheme exclusively for women gives access to high-level training and career development opportunities and has already been taken up by six students.
 
The BBA’s flagship 40-week boat-building course, which often provides its graduates with a direct route into some of the country’s top boatyards, currently has 25 per cent women and one non-binary person amongst its ranks.
 
Will explained: “Gender does not dictate what people are capable of doing, or not doing – it should be irrelevant. We are determined to make the BBA a welcome place for all and to have a better balance in the workshops. We are thrilled with the positive results and this success has been boosted considerably by our close and ongoing collaboration with Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB).”
 
WIBB works to expand the activity and support for women working hands-on in boatbuilding and related industries by working with organisations like the BBA and providing a mix of ​mentoring, workshops and social opportunities.
 
Amy Stringfellow, WIBB director, has worked with Will to create the Women’s Workshop, a five-day course which she has designed for women to try their hand at woodworking.
 
Eleven women have taken part in the programme so far with plenty of interest in future courses. Some of the women attending use the course as a taster, and an opportunity to talk to the BBA team about longer courses.
 
Women in Boatbuilding members already working in the boat building industry are also actively mentoring female BBA students.
 
BBA Graduate and WIBB Director Dr Obioma Oji has mentored current BBA student Marie Franklin.
 
Marie said: “It has been a joy for me to be part of the WIBB mentorship scheme. I have been so fortunate as my mentor is a fabulous woman who has taken time to listen to me and had encouraged me in so many ways. It’s super inspiring to see how she has developed her boatbuilding and I always look forward to spending time with her and her infinite wisdom.”
 
Founder of WIBB, Belinda Joslin said: “The first time I met Will in 2022 I asked him how many women he had enrolled on his upcoming 40-week boat building course, and he said: “None – and none in the course before it.
 
“Having worked as a finisher in the industry myself I wasn’t surprised by this.
 
“But I was impressed by Will’s determination to change this and his willingness to ask us for help. It’s very encouraging to see the progress we have already made through our joint strategy, combined with the inclusive environment that is a priority at BBA. “
 
She continued: “The BBA should now not only continue to proactively welcome and support women at the academy, but also expand to support BBA graduates when they enter the workforce. We have already seen great results through our own mentoring scheme. I would like to see the BBA form its own graduate mentoring programme.
 
“The industry continues to be very male dominated, so continuing the right support for women is crucial to retain them in boatbuilding roles. The BBA is forward-thinking enough to see that - done right - this can benefit the entire industry.”
 
For information on the BBA’s courses and bursaries please visit: www.boatbuildingacademy.com
 
Ends
 
Picture captions: 
D&i1 - Belinda Joslin (centre) visited the BBA in March to attend the traditional sailmaking course and spoke of her delight at progress so far, and the continuing mission to promote diversity and inclusion in boatbuilding. She is seen here with the BBA’s current female students. 
D&i2 – BBA student Marie Franklin (left) and BBA graduate and WIBB Director Dr Obiama Oji.
 
Media information on this release from Debbie Granville at: [email protected]
 

Join us for the next ZOOM social on Thursday 9th May - email for a link [email protected]

EVERYONE welcome! Great chance to catch-up with what's going on in everyone's yard and meet new women in the industry. 

​ 

Join us for an in-person Women in Boatbuilding Social on Saturday 17th March 2024. 
From 11.30 at the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis - for networking, a tour of the boatbuilding school and fish and chips! This is a chance to meet and chat to other women in the industry - will be very informal - everyone welcome. 

Tickets - £10 from Eventbrite;
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-boatbuilding-social-tickets-837454447797?aff=oddtdtcreator
​

• EPISODE 1 – The South Coast – 7PM FRIDAY 6TH OCTOBER
• EPISODE 2 – Cornwall – 7PM FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER
• EPISODE 3 – The East Coast – 7PM FRIDAY 20TH OCTOBER

Subscribe to find the episodes on the Women in Boatbuilding Youtube channel  (its free) www.youtube.com/@womeninboatbuilding
 
American Fellowship student and filmmaker, Annie Means, toured yards on the South Coast, Cornwall, and the East Coast over 3 weeks in August. She filmed and interviewed women working hands-on, to capture a snapshot of their experiences. 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, insightful, inspiring and fun reflection of some incredible women.  
The series showcases the work of women in a diverse set of roles in yards – from cover-makers to shipwrights, laminators to electricians. Covering the full range of scale in boatyards – from the enormity of Sunseeker International to Abbey Boatbuilder in her one-woman yard in Norfolk, and everything in between. 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.
‘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.’ Belinda Joslin, founder of WIBB
The aim of the tour was to create content that shares the skills and experiences of some of the amazing women 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.’
Produced by Belinda Joslin and Annie Means - 2023
 
THANK YOU’S
Annie Means has given her time and expertise to Women in Boatbuilding as part of her Fellowship studies into Gender Stereotypes in the Marine World. We are incredibly grateful to Annie for her contribution to WIBB and the content that she has created on our behalf. We think it’s amazing, and will help to further develop conversations about diversity in the boatbuilding world.
Without the women who are forging their way in the industry, this would not have happened. We could not have been happier or more impressed with the answers to our questions – thank you for your honesty and wisdom. Many thanks also to some of the brilliant, supportive men in the industry:

First Episode:
Elizabeth Banks, Peter Collins, Sydney Fassam, Emma Mermaz-Rollet, Clementine Mollier, Otto Marples, Obioma Oji, Betzy Shell, Katie Hammond
Second Episode:
Katie Allan, Livvy Higman, Rachel Bland, Neil Capper, Tara Clark, Daisy Leach, Holly Latham, Tori Ablett
 
Third Episode:
Matt Lis, Jess Wright, Alison Taylor, Alan Staley, Gillen Knight, Ben Felts, Abbey Molyneux, Heike Lowenstein, Faye Thorley, Emily Stokes, Sacha Walker, Neil Capper, Alannah Barton, Helen Porter
 
Annie’s fellowship grant has made this project possible – but without the welcoming hospitality of the boatbuilders, the tour would not have been possible – so we would like to thank Betzy Shell and Holly Latham for hosting Annie on the tour.
​
A final and Huge THANK YOU to all the yards who have embraced and enabled this project:

Sunseeker International
Oyster
Ship to Shore
BlueTree Boat Builders
Latham Traditional Boatworks
SKB Sails Ltd
Cockwells
Abbey Boatbuilder
Woodbridge Boatyard
Spirit Yachts
Raybel Charters
Alan Staley Boatyard
The Boatbuilding Academy, Lyme Regis
The Elephant Boatyard

After months of trying to find data about the boatbuilding workforce, we came to the conclusion that no-one has it!  In conversations with the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce team, it seems that they struggled to get meaningful data about who is actually building boats in the UK. The recent Heritage Craft Association and Wooden Boat Trade Association survey threw up some worrying trends - a lack of diversity and an ageing workforce. Anecdotally, this won't surprise anyone. The survey was brilliant, but only concerned with traditional boatbuilding. 
We live in an age of data, and money is allocated and decisions are made when you can back up your reasoning with facts. 

So we've created the British Boatbuilders survey - for all boatyard trades. 
Its a simple Google form - at https://tinyurl.com/boatbuildersurvey
so please complete it and share it with all boatyard friends and colleagues. 

It will be open for 6 weeks. We hope in that time we will have a decent response....but we're relying on word of mouth in the yards. Email me if you'd like it in an email or whats-app format to share. It went live yesterday, and 30 lovely people have already filled it in, which is amazing. 

The survey is anonymous and we will share all results openly. Its done for the benefit of all, not just about women. 

Email if you'd like to know more. 
[email protected]

​ 
Women in Boatbuilding CIC and US Fellowship recipient combine forces this summer to create
‘British Boatbuilders in 2023’ – A snapshot of Women working hands-on.
 
Women in Boatbuilding was approached by Annie Means to be a part of her research Fellowship this summer. Together  they are creating a snap-shot of what boatbuilders are working on in the summer of 2023 – with the focus being on the practical skills being used and the projects they are working on.
Annie is a recent US university graduate and a recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for the 2023-2024 term. The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship presents a year-long opportunity for purposeful and independent exploration outside the United States. For her fellowship project, she will be embarking on a journey to the United Kingdom to delve into gender roles within the maritime industry,  particularly by collaborating with women involved in the boatyard scene.
Annie will be visiting boatyards across the UK, interviewing boatbuilders and capturing content of their work. This material will then be used to create more awareness of the work that women are already doing, encourage more women to know that boatyards can be inclusive and more boatyards to see the benefit of diversity and offer equity in their employment.
By helping to create a narrative of skill and expertise in the boatbuilders we interview, the project’s aim is to take the focus away from gender-difference, and onto normalising the presence of women in the boatyard environment and the tangible benefit that their work and expertise can bring.
About Annie:
‘The boatbuilding industry, as well as the maritime sector as a whole, is predominantly male-dominated. My objective is to document and amplify the experiences of women mariners and shipbuilders through my fellowship. Working alongside WIBB, during the months of July and August, I am seeking to meet and gather testimonials from the remarkable women working in the United Kingdom's boatyards. I am enthusiastic and eager to document and learn about the experiences of women in the maritime industry in 2023. Capturing the current state of this industry and its transformative journey toward inclusivity and diversity can provide valuable insights into where the nautical community has been and where it's trending.
As an avid boater, my interest in this topic was sparked during my two-month journey through Canada's Inside Passage. Last summer, I had the privilege of captaining a small motor trawler with an all-female crew, tracing the footsteps of a pioneering female sea captain and mother who ventured into the remote inlets of British Columbia in the early 1920s and 1930s. Her story inspired me to pursue boating. Recognizing the existence of remarkable and adventurous women throughout the history of this industry, who have often been overshadowed, motivated me to connect with individuals in 2023.’
So far, Women in Boatbuilding has focused on telling career stories – how did boatbuilders get into it? They’ve launched a mentoring programme – supporting women at the start of their careers. Now  they are really excited to be focusing on the skills of British boatbuilders in this snapshot – telling the story of what everyone is making in the yard in the summer of 2023.
 
Annie will be visiting yards from July 24th to August 18th 2023.
If you or your boatyard would like to be a part of ‘British Boatbuilders in 2023’, please get in touch.
Belinda Joslin – Women in Boatbuilding -  [email protected]
Annie Means - Thomas J Watson Fellow 2023 – 2024 - [email protected]
Instagram @womeninboatbuilding     www.womeninboatbuilding.com
 
British Boatyard tour….How will it work?
Annie will be travelling round mostly by herself, sometimes with Amy Stringfellow in South West and Belinda Joslin in East, both directors of WIBB.  She would love a tour of the yard, because who doesn’t love a yard tour! And she would like to ask  ‘How many people working hands-on in the boatyard and gender split today’?
The interview, filming and images won’t take long – it’s a snapshot, not a full personal career interview we’re after.  All images will be in the workplace, working on whatever it is that’s being done at that particular time – no posing, or pretence. The interview questions will be asked before and after filming – not during boatbuilding. We’ve been interviewed before whilst using tools and it’s really stressful and neither the work, or interview is good.
The sort of questions that will be asked of boatbuilders:

• What are you working on? (type of boat, part of boat, which process etc)
• How many of you on this project?
• How long have you been working on it?
• How have you found it?
• What do you like about it?
• Tools and materials used?
• Any challenges overcome?
• When will it be finished?
• What have you learnt? Any new skills or repeating known skills?
• What do you wish you’d know at the start of this job?
• What do you love about what you do?
• What do you want to share about boatbuilding?

 
All footage and images would be owned by ‘Women in Boatbuilding CIC’ and used at their discretion.  Annie will also be blogging during the tour, using images to share her journey and observations.
By participating in this project, you will be agreeing to have the answers and footage shared on social media. We commit to using the material in a respectful way to create inspiring and informative content.  Please let us know how and where you want to be tagged. 

​The Women in Boatbuilding Mentoring Programme, supported by the Shipwrights, is successfully up and running.
Since the launch in March, we have advertised the programme, analysed and paired the mentor/mentee applications and 8 pairings are now underway. All at slightly different stages of their boatbuilding journey’s, but all equally thrilled to be on the mentoring programme.
 
Last week we had the first mentor catch-ups, and these will continue monthly, enabling the mentors to check-in and report on their mentee meetings. The pairings are meeting in a variety of ways. We have – where possible and appropriate – paired locals together, so some are meeting in person and some digitally. 
 
The programme is headed-up by Heike Lowenstein and Amy Stringfellow, both Directors of Women in Boatbuilding CIC. Between them, they have extensive boatbuilding and teaching knowledge and experience, so are well-placed to lead the amazing mentoring team.
Thanks again to the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, whose support has facilitated this programme.