Anyone who has been fortunate enough to make a visit to Jim Blake’s boat shed behind the Long Shoreman’s Museum on the Ventnor Esplanade will recall the fantastic collection of hand-made wooden boats that he has stored there.
The boats had all been lovingly hand crafted by Jim and over the years many had been used out in the bay, but sadly, due to the health and safety restrictions, they were no longer able to be provided for use by holiday makers.
Today all the boats and canoes were moved out of the boat shed onto a lorry to be transported off to auction.
We do hope that perhaps the Ventnor Town Council will be bidding for at least one of the boats at auction, so it may return to Ventnor and continue to be part of our heritage.
Many thanks to Environment and Neighbourhood Officer, Rob Reed, for sending through the gallery of photos below.
He said,
“It was with a feeling of the passing of another era, that I watched as Jim Blake’s old rowing boat and canoe fleet was loaded on to a lorry this morning to be taken off to auction.
“Let’s hope they go to good homes, who will use them for the purpose they were built and they will once again feel the cool embrace of the sea or a river running past their timbers!”
