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What are clinker boats? Clinker boats are traditionally built of wood and are constructed so that the planks of wood overlap each other – making the whole thing watertight. Clinker boats were very popular in Viking times – the classic Viking longboat is a clinker boat for example, and smaller versions are still very popular today. Nowadays you are just as likely to find a clinker boar built of fibre-glass which is lighter and easier to build. These clinker boats would probably be trimmed with a hardwood. Although the boats are quite difficult to build to a high standard, many talented amateurs do make them themselves as they can be quite small so don’t take up too much space in construction. They can look extremely graceful and pretty – like the boats in Swallows and Amazons. Who might use clinker boats? Clinker boats are very popular with families as they can be made small enough to fit on the roof of a car or be towed in a trailer. They are lightweight enough to be carried by one or two people and are safe and watertight. Messing about on the river is one of the joys of English country life and as such clinker boats prove very popular today. People also buy clinker boats to use as small fishing vessels on the open sea – another popular past-time over the British summer. Where can you buy clinker boats? There are many websites and shops selling clinker boats and it’s worth doing some research into what kind of craft you want, but a very good place to go is Clovelly Boats in Devon. The company is family -run and also has a website - www.clovellyboats.co.uk. There is a wide range of boats to choose from – from little dinghies which measure less than 2 metres, to larger rowing boats which go up to over 4.5 metres. They are all build in the clinker boats style and the fibre glass models are all trimmed with very luxurious Iroko – which give the boats a classic feel. The website also has lots of pictures of the boats so you get a very good idea of what you are buying.
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