Steve Cook, boat builder

Steve left school at 15 and got a job as an apprentice boat builder. It was hard work with poor pay and freezing conditions but he still thinks fondly of the smell of wood fire and sawdust. Now, nearly fifty years on, he is armed with the skills and the accolade of being one of the last Whitby cobble builders.

Why is artistic expression important to you?

It’s about being able to share ideas through creativity, to start a conversation with it.  With boat building, having a creative eye means you can see if you’re on the right track just by looking at it.  If something looks a bit off somehow, then it usually is, so your artistic side helps build something which works practically.

What inspires you?

The material inspires me. Wood is natural, it has a lovely grain, you can bend it and shape it. It’s an amazing material. I love seeing work take shape and grow.  When you’re building a boat one plank at a time, you see the piece change shape every day. The finished boats are just beautiful objects to look at. 

What work are you most proud of?

I’m really proud of the custom builds I’ve made.  Someone has the confidence to pay a lot of money for something you can’t even show them in advance.  You don’t work from plans, you just work from your head and it evolves as you go.  I’m proud that I can now do designs in my head and create a finished boat from that.

What are you excited about doing next?

I’m excited about parties in my boat yard! A wedding party for my daughter perhaps. We had one for her sister, the couple and all the guests arrived from the church in boats.  We decorated the yard and built a jetty and a marquee and made it beautiful. 

I’m also looking forward to doing up some old boats.  Sometimes they’re really rotten but you can bring them back to life.  I have one from 1935 that I’m excited about working on.