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SHE'S A LADY
This will confirm David Skene as the builder of my yacht, a Holman & Pye 50 from the same mould as the 1970's Bowman 49.
David began work on the project at the very outset when the hull and deck were being laid up at Wicormarine in Portchester,
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Hampshire in November 1995. His first job was fitting and bonding the deck to the hull and then installing all the teak planking and deck fittings.
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When the boat was moved to Moody's Boatyard, Southampton later the next year, he began the job of building out the interior in consultation with David Cooper of Holman & Pye, the designers of the Bowman 49, who provided a series the below deck layout designs to work to.
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He was also responsible for most of the ship's engineering in so far as he installed the engine and generator, exhaust and plumbing systems and all galley fixtures. David also built all of the fibreglass moulds which were used to furnish the galley, the two heads, gas bottle locker and two shower pans.
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The entire project took a total of 5500 man hours of David's time spread over a period of approximately two & a half years. David worked an average of 10 hours a day five and a half days a week.
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The only area of the project where David did not assume complete control was teh electrical side which was completed by a specialist marine electrician but even there David made a very considerable contribution.
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Throughout the entire process David maintained a standard of excellence in his craftsmanship as a joiner and all round boat builder which in my opinion could not genuinely be improved on by any boatyard currently in business in this country.
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I would unhesitatingly recommend him to anyone interested in building a high quality yacht without using the services of a traditional boatyard and thereby avoiding the substantial associated costs.
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The boat David has built, She's a Lady, is currently moored at Moody's Swanwick Marina, Southampton. She can be viewed by appointment whenever she is in port.
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Jolyon Wilde
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