Stephen Beresford

Boat builder

Centuries of craft kept afloat

Stephen combines traditional boat building skills with contemporary tools
His race boat won the Spitfire Premium Ale Concours d’Élégance trophy in 2010
He works with the world’s finest single-location boat collection

Stephen Beresford is a boat builder and conservator who leads the restoration of 50 historic boats dating from 1780 to 1983 at the Windermere Jetty Museum. “I have been a passionate maker since childhood. I crafted everything, from junk models and Lego creations to woodworking projects, motorbikes and cars,” he says. After 20 years as a mechanical engineer in the food, chemical and nuclear industries, Stephen was inspired by the craftsmanship of wooden boats at the former Windermere Steamboat Museum in England’s Lake District. In his early forties, he retrained in traditional wooden boat building and exhibited his first racing boat at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show at Alexandra Palace and won the Spitfire Premium Ale Concours d’Élégance in 2010. Stephen also founded the Good Wood Boat Company in 2008, where he still makes racing dinghies and other wooden vessels on commission.

Interview

What are you passionate about?: My aim is to create a thing of beauty. Even if people have no interest in boats, I think they still appreciate a well-made, artisanal, traditional wooden boat. They appreciate the beauty of the material, shape and form. People can tell when designs are excellently translated into function.
What skills are needed to be a master boat builder?: One needs to have built a boat – that is no easy task! It demands patience, determination and a long, steady process. It combines motor skills, modern engineering and vast knowledge. It is one of the rare traditional crafts in which its artists still get involved in every aspect.
What distinguishes your boats?: My work is about perfecting the shape to meet racing rules, while showcasing craftsmanship in plank joinery, evenness, symmetry and hydrodynamic flowing curves. Every element is of the highest quality, with meticulous attention to detail in every aspect.
Does technology play a role in your craft?: Boat building is a unique blend of artisanal heritage skills and contemporary engineering. At times, we reverse engineer parts using laser scanning, photogrammetry and CAD to recreate them.

Stephen Beresford is a master artisan: he began his career in 2007 and he started teaching in 2015