John Bullivant – The Big / Small Boat Builder
John Bullivant owns an impressive collection of boats, even more impressive is he built / restored them himself – how you may ask? – they are radio controlled models of real boats, taken off detailed plans.
The black & white double image above shows John’s model of MTB49 & the real thing, illustrates the amount of detail John achieves.
John took over the bridge-decker he has named ‘Tamure’ as an unfinished project from the previous owner, as seen in the images & installed the present motor & associated equipment. We see the restored Tamure above.
John’s major build has been the W1 project, which we have seen on ww before as work-in-progess. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/05/w1-junior/
W1 is now complete & will feature on ww next week. (photos above ex John B & Ken Ricketts)
John also owns 2 real yachts in the 12′>16′ range, which he has also rebuilt/restored featured here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/26/small-woodys-sailing-sunday/
Whist I think the boats look really lovely, & it is to a degree, obvious the time that must go in to them, it wasn’t until I went to see John, backgrounding this post,& actually looked not only at them, but “in” to them, that I realised the huge detail of reproduction that goes in to absolutely all aspects of construction, even to reproducing the hull construction methods precisely, of the real originals, & so on — — He is a remarkably clever & patient gentleman — KEN R
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