Building the Boat of Your Dreams
Laying the keel of a 54-foot Trading Wherry
Episode 25 – Building Lady Garnet
There are moments in boatbuilding that feel almost ceremonial, and laying the keel is one of them. It’s the point where an idea, sketches, and years of knowledge finally touch solid ground.
A good friend of mine, Don McDermot, has reached exactly that moment with his extraordinary project: the construction of Lady Garnet, a 54-foot traditional trading wherry — the first of her kind to be built since 1912.
This isn’t a replica pulled from a production line. It’s a wherry being created from scratch, using traditional methods, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for Britain’s inland-waterway heritage. Watching the keel go down is watching history restart.
For anyone who loves:
or simply the romance of boats built properly, by hand
This project is utterly captivating.
🎥 Watch Episode 25 – Laying the Keel
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7dsUSATDQI&t=424s
Each episode shows real progress — timber shaped, joints cut, problems solved — not glossed-over highlights but the honest reality of building something that hasn’t been attempted for over a century.
As someone who sails and writes about historic Thames boats, restorations, and the joy of traditional craft, it’s hugely inspiring to see a trading wherry being brought back to life plank by plank. Projects like this remind us that heritage isn’t something that just sits in museums — it can still be built, sailed, and worked.
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