Famous Cornish boat builder to be celebrated with blue plaque

A FAMOUS Cornish boat builder is to be celebrated with a blue plaque being erected at his former workshop.

Ralph Bird, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 69, built 29 Cornish Pilot Gigs in his workshop on the banks of the Carnon river near Devoran.

He was instrumental in the resurgence of gig racing which has since spread from its traditional homes of both the Isles of Scilly and Newquay, across the country and into Europe. There are now 92 gig clubs and over 9,000 rowers.

Ralph Bird was already a skilled boatbuilder when he had the idea of bringing gig racing back to the Fal estuary where it had been popular in the 1800’s.

He borrowed three gigs and ran a river race on the Fal in 1981, it became an annual event. Soon Ralph was building his first gig, Energy, with students at Falmouth Marine school.

His skills soon came into demand following gig racing catching on around the Cornish coast and new clubs forming. Ralph was asked by Cadgwith to build them a gig. Buller was the first of 29 gigs which Ralph built in his Devoran workshop.

Ralph built the Fly for Newquay Rowing Club in 1993 and Hope in 2000.

He constructed several other gigs for different clubs throughout the years including Royal for Truro River Rowing Club in 1988, William Peters for Roseland in 1987, Idas for Falmouth in 1996 and Bedehaven for Bude in 2004.

Ralph became one of the founding members of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association. Through his maritime history research, sharing his skills with other boat builders, writing books, delivering talks and, of course, building gigs, he was an important part of the current popularity of modern gig racing.

The blue plaque to commemorate the life and work of the Ralph Bird will be unveiled on Monday, September 14 at 5.30pm.

The plaque has been organised by the Restronguet Creek Society and will be placed on the former gig workshop courtesy of the property’s new owners. The plaque will be unveiled by Ralph’s widow Marie Bird, while Norma Edwards, a trustee of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association, will talk about Ralph Bird’s importance to the sport. Welcome and thanks will be given by Dee Reeves of the Restronguet Creek Society.

Devoran Gig Club will be arriving in some of their gigs including Fear Not which was built by Ralph in 1991. Gigs are 32 foot long traditional “clinker” built wooden boats, rowed by a crew of six and steered by a coxswain.