One good man and his sweet van.  Tim rolled onto the TIMBERCOAST lot 2 weeeks ago ready to volunteer.   Since then, his carpentry skills have been a real asset to the mast making team, he’s an undefeated arm wrestler and his sharp wit is uummm… ahhhhh… wittier than ours?  Anyhow, we all wish he’d stay longer but we truly appreciate all his hardwork and are going to miss his cheerful demeanor.  Safe travels and thanks for this read.

I had a tour of the ship yard and workshop, later meeting the man behind the project Captain Cornelius. Talking to the other volunteers that night I could tell everyone was keen and excited about the project. The next day I started working at the dockyard and Peter the Boatswain gave me the task of helping him shape the masts, it felt great to learn something new. I have been a carpenter for twenty years but masts aren’t a normal daily request in suburbia!!!

I have learnt new things everyday here from the permanent volunteers and crew, everything from metalwork to sailing knots. Although you are expected to put in a good days work, with many jobs being challenging, it is done in a relaxed and encouraging manner.

All the volunteers live in one large house and it has a warmth to it. People sit out in the garden in the evening with a drink sharing stories. Often you can hear a piano or flute being played in the music room or discussions from the kitchen covering important topics from world politics to chocolate biscuit coverings.

I have been here for two weeks now and I love the TIMBERCOAST lifestyle. This includes going to the local sandy river bank for a swim, shopping at  the flea market in Bremen, having beach BBQs and riding back home on the old dockyard bikes in a big group at night, of course I cannot miss out the fantastic Timebercoast football games and this weekend we are all going camping at a local festival.

So if you want to meet a Canadian with a strong voice that drives the project deep inside you, a girl who is barely out of collage but knows that she is half way to living her dream and maybe even a Dutchman in his birthday suit……..well who knows what can happen at TIMBERCOAST…… maybe the call of the AVONTUUR will lure you in like it has so many already!