The trade of the Shipwright has been so revered as part of Maritime Industry, that in the UK the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights was established in London over 500 years ago, and maintains an active organisation with its own ‘coat of arms’ in the City of London to this day.
With London being an ancient port on the Thames where shipbuilding activity was high along the banks of the river in days gone by, it was entirely logical that Shipwrights were to become one of the oldest recorded trades there – so old in fact that there are no records of the origins of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights.
The oldest surviving version of the Company’s Ordinances (its written constitution) is dated 1428!
Now, one of the oldest recorded trades in the maritime world is being commercially continued in sunny Mallorca, where Palmawatch are bringing skills and workmanship of a Shipwright to the refit and repair work they are carrying out on yachts.
British born Paul Muston, a qualified Boat Builder and Shipwright by trade for 25 years, has since joining the company seen a big increase in demand for his carpentry and joinery skills,
Paul is busy laying teak decking and refurbishing a swim platform on a 40 metre Jongert, and his work schedule looks full for the coming two months.
So successful has the department been that the company is now actively seeking another skilled Shipwright to meet the increased demand for such work.
