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Without a doubt our boats occupy a special place in our hearts. We love them with a sometimes irrational passion. In our line of work it is inevitable that we encounter people at a particularly emotional time during their boat owning lives - when their pride and joy is found, and when they wave goodbye.
Although our service provides a comprehensive photographic record of boats, with the best will in the world our photographs are designed to capture the facts of a boat, not its inner heart. While this is not without merit, many people would love to have something more tangible, which captures more of the spirit of their boat and memories.
With this in mind, and having my own love of the artistic, I went in pursuit of artists and crafts people to do just that. This area of the site will expand over time, eventually offering extensive details of a range of crafts people. For now we have just one, but please do check back from time to time, or get in touch if you would like to be listed yourself.
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The first craftsperson found for this new area of the website was Graham Johnston, a retired ship agent who has carried a passion for boats of all kinds into his retirement. Our initial thought was to find artists interested in taking painting commissions so Graham was an unanticipated discovery. He makes beautiful custom built models with an extraordinary attention to detail in a tiny workshop beside his house overlooking the loch goil.
I met Graham on a sunny October afternoon and spent probably longer than was polite gazing at the many examples of his workmanship.
One of the many small details that struck me about Grahams models was that he actually uses fine sail cloth for the sails. This material has more rigidity than the limper fabrics used on many models and really left me with the impression that the boats could be under sail.
Add to this the hand turned tiny winches, accurate rigging and other details down to the individually planked decking, and you have a potential memento or gift second only to the boat itself.
Given all this I would have expected Grahams models to be very expensive, so I was somewhat surprised to hear that his custom 'one off' half hulls start at £120 & full hull replicas range from £250 for an open boat like a Piper O.D. or a Flying Fifteen to around £400 for larger cruisers and ships.
If you'd like to discuss your potential project with Graham, a very friendly and approachable chap, please call, e-mail or visit his website using the details below
Website: www.classiccraft.co.uk/
Phone: 01301 703401
E-mail: classiccraft at aol.com
We are on the lookout for artists of all kinds who feel they could offer something unique to our customers. This includes paintings of all styles, or any original way of providing a momento of a special boat.
There is no charge for being listed in this section. All we ask is that you offer an unusual and interesting service to our customers.
Please contact us at any time with your ideas
The page contains links that we think might be of interest. No recommendation of the companies listed here is implied, and although we have tried to ensure that the sites listed are relevant, we are not responsible for the content of any external site.
If you feel a page is listed here in error, or have a recommendation for another useful page, please dont hesitate to contact us
