Traditional Boat Building: Copper Roving

Traditional Boat Building: Copper Roving

One type of tradtional wooden fishing vessel is a ‘Sgoth’ or ‘Sgoth Niseach’ – a traditional type of clinker-built skiff with a dipping lug rig and a Lateen style sail, built mainly in Ness in the Western Isles of Scotland. These boats were used for line fishing during the 19th century but as this industry died out in the Western Isles, the number of Sgoths being built reduced. In 1935 ‘Jubilee,’ built by the late John Finlay Macleod, was launched and is the last original working ‘Sgoth.’ (Falamadair, 2025). Mark Stockl is a traditional boat builder based in Ullapool and has worked extensively with Falamadair _ The North Lewis Maritime Trust, in the restoration of Sgoths for which they are the guardians. He has also built replica Sgoths for private clients (see AAS_AR_06) and restored other Ness built clinkers (see AAS_AR_10). The full process of designing and building a traditional wooden ‘clinker’ boat is described in AAS_PR_002. The Cultural practice documented in this input focuses on the method of ‘Copper Roving’ (fixing the copper rivets through the planks to hold them in place) during the repair of AAS_AR_10. This artefact was in Mark’s workshop on the day of the interview.

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highlandandislands

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English

Intangible

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11/08/2025

https://www.galsontrust.com/single-post/launch-of-new-maritime-festival-fèis-na-fairge. (2025, July 28). Retrieved from Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn : https://www.galsontrust.com/ Boat Building Academy and Furniture School . (2025, July 28). Retrieved from Boat Building Academy and Furniture School : https://boatbuildingacademy.com/boat-building-courses/40-week-boat-building-course/ CEN, 2021. Comunn Eachdraidh Nis / Ness Historical Society. [Online] Available at: https://www.nesshistorical.co.uk [Accessed 19 July 2025].

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https://culturality.museum/wiki/index.php/Traditional_Boat_Building:_Copper_Roving

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Gaelic Language, oral story telling, maritime history.

Netty Sopata

Extensive. An understanding of the traditional wooden boat building techniques and ability to apply them through thousands of hours of practice. The sequence in which the techniques need to applied and how to accommodate solo working to accomplish the highest quality. There is an aesthetic quality to wooden boats but fundamnetally thay are a functional item used to carry people in water. The traditonal wooden 'Sgoths'. that Mark can build from start to finish, or repair, are used for sailing in some of the most challenging sea areas in Scotland. There is a particular skills focus on how to work with the different types of wood used in traditional boat building in Scotland: Larch and Oak. 'Roving' is the technique this data input is focusing on in detail. In a new- build this requires the oak made 'ribs' of the boat to be steamed, applied and fixed to a planked mould. Copper nails are then hammered through pre - marked and drilled holes. The oak is only workable for 15 seconds post steaming and these permits the fixing of the nails through the oak without resistence. Once pushed through, copper rivets are used to fix the copper nails in place. 'Roving' also takes place during the replacement of planks in restoration work - it is this process that was captured on video and in photographs to document this cultural practice. (The steaming element of the ribs was not required during this restoration stage - the original holes were use).

In the past Mark Stockl ran a Boat Building course at Plockton High School form 2007 to 2023. Although highly successful this was withdrawn form the school curriculum by the local authority due to the costs involved. Out with apprenticeships, there is one boat building school in the United Kingdom that focuses on tradtional, wooden boat building skills: The Boat Building Academy and Furniture School in Lyme Regis. This has a City and Guilds, Level Three Diploma (Advanced) embedded within the intensive course delivered over forty weeks.

Traditional boat builders are the main bearers and practioners of this practice. There are no specific roles or catgeories for'boat buulding' at an independent, bespoke level. The roving technique requires two people to work together but the majority of the boat building process, using the methods that Mark uses, occur with just one practitioner.

The traditional wooden 'Sgoths' reffered to above have a cultural significance in the retention and amplification of the gaelic language and maritime history. Falamadair proactivelt restroes and maintains the Sgoths under it's guardianship and interacts with other organisations to promote the heritage connected to them. Fèis na Fairge is a maritme festival organised by Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Estate) to celebrate the maritime history of teh North of Lewis. The restoration work on the 'Sgoths' completed by Mark contributes significantly to their preservation.

Wooden fishig boats were used for line fishing during the 19th century but as this industry died out in the Western Isles, the number of wooden boats being built reduced. Some of the tools used remain the same and soe have been repaced with faster alternatives i.e for the 'Roving' hand drills have been replaced with battery operated drills.

Falamadair - The North Lewis Maritime Trust. Comunn Eachdraidh Nis / Ness Historical Society and Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Estate).

As above.

Deterioration of material

In AAS_PR_002(INTVW) Mark makes reference to Scottish Larch (the wood required for the planks in wooden boat building) being used more intensivley by Architects and thus the construction industry.

Aged practitioners,Reduced practice

There is only one location individuals can currently attend to learn traditional boat building techniques in the U.K. The costs of doing so (£18K for 40 Weeks) is prohibiitve to majority of young people, particulary if they are from a disadvantaged background. Apprenticeships for sole practitioners (such as Mark) are prohibitive to negotiate due to costs and health and saftey guidlines that are required. This coupled with reduced spend capacity of local authorities limts access to learning thes traditonal skills to those that can afford to do so.

Insufficient financial resources,Arduous training

There is only one location individuals can currently attend to learn traditional boat building techniques in the U.K. The costs of doing so (£18K for 40 Weeks) is prohibiitve to majority of young people, particulary if they are from a disadvantaged background. Apprenticeships for sole practitioners (such as Mark) are prohibitive to negotiate due to costs and health and saftey guidlines that are required. This coupled with reduced spend capacity of local authorities limts access to learning thes traditonal skills to those that can afford to do so.

Lack of conservation policy,Educational standardisation

There is only one location individuals can currently attend to learn traditional boat building techniques in the U.K. The costs of doing so (£18K for 40 Weeks) is prohibiitve to majority of young people, particulary if they are from a disadvantaged background. Apprenticeships for sole practitioners (such as Mark) are prohibitive to negotiate due to costs and health and saftey guidlines that are required. This coupled with reduced spend capacity of local authorities limts access to learning thes traditonal skills to those that can afford to do so.

Loss of ancestral language,Loss of knowledge,Material shortage

The maritime festivals are great way of amplifyin the anceteral language, knowledge and stories asscociated with traditonal wooden boat buulding ( sailing). But, these are not public policy.

Ullapool is a small fishing harbour on the west coast of Scotland. It is also a gateway to the Western Isles for freight, tourism and island residents. Traditional fishing vessels on the west coast of Scotland were built from wood. Although the modern day 'trawlers' no-longer resemble these vessels, working examples of traditional wooden vessels do exist today, some in community trusts and some in private ownership.

As listed: AAS_AR_06 (Replica Sgoth built by Mark Stockl) and AAS_AR_10 (Clinker under rennovation). Also a battery operated hand drill (AAS_AR_09). For the roving process the drill is required to drill the holes to place/push the copper nails through ready fro the rivet to be fixed.

Yes - by supporting the work of Falamadair.

Yes. All the wood souced in the processes used by Mark is sourced in Scotland. The techniques are traditional so there is very little waste generated.

Mark's work provides an income for him. Some of the boats he builds / repairs are used by estates to faciliate fishing (leisure). The estates generate an income from fishing.

Responsible Consumption and Production

3 Loggie, Ullapool

stable

AAS_CP_002