Last updated at 07:17, Friday, 30 October 2009

A BOAT builder from Cockermouth has celebrated a year in business.

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Steve Beresford, who owns Good Wood Boat Company on the Moota Business Park, is one of the UK’s only builders of Redwing boats.

The Redwing, a racing boat first designed in 1938, is built to strict racing specifications and Steve’s first vessel, Lyoness, took him 1,000 hours to build.

Given the time that went into it, Steve was delighted when it finished fifth in the national racing championships in the Scilly Isles this summer.

The 44-year-old left his full-time job as an engineer at Sellafield to start the Good Wood Boat Company which also sees him restore and repair wooden boats.

The environmentally friendly business is the only UK boat firm that uses wood from responsibly managed sources that are Forestry Stewardship Council certified.

Steve said: “I was an engineer by profession, but always wanted to do something more creative.

“Building these wooden boats is a real pleasure. The people who own and buy them love sailing but buy the boats because they are real wooden classics, a thing of beauty with a high level of craftsmanship, which continues our country’s tradition as excellent boat builders.

“The Redwing is a high-performance boat. I have done a number of restorations because clients love their boats and few craftsmen can build them.

“Wooden boats are more likely to last and sail longer and at the end of their life you can put them on the compost heap.”

The father-of-three, who received support from the West Cumbria Development Agency to start up his business, hopes to add to the classes of boat in his portfolio – even progressing to bigger vessels such as wooden yachts.

When appropriate, he plans to build a team of skilled craftspeople as the business develops.

Steve added: “I’ve built one boat so far. She sailed successfully and I have sold another boat in just less than a year.

“My plan is now to build three or four boats next year.”

First published at 19:34, Thursday, 29 October 2009
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk