By Ariana Cottam

Ariana Cottam is a shipwright at Woodbridge & Waldringfield Boatyards. She was a member of the first year group at the Boat Building Academy to have equal numbers of male and female students. As a group they were awarded the Classic Boat magazine’s Rising Star award 2026. Here Ariana offers a glimpse of the work of her award-winning group and shares her first impressions of life on the Deben:

Ariana Cottam on the Deben, sailing Lo Verily (which she helped build)

The path that led to Woodbridge was not a straight one. It wound through regenerative seaweed and shellfish farming, ethical outdoor retail, and time spent guiding people on the water. Different as these roles were, they shared a rhythm of practical, community-based work with a strong connection to the environment. Boatbuilding, as it turns out, gathers all those threads together – craft, place, people, and the quiet satisfaction of making something that belongs to the water.

Learning the long way round

When I arrived at the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis last year, I had never picked up a plane nor laid a hand on a hull. The 40-week course is famously immersive, and it quickly became clear that it is not only about constructing boats; it is about reshaping how you learn. Each day introduced something new: cutting and fitting timber, reading the intention of the grain, interpreting drawings, the mental gymnastics of lofting, and learning to measure at least twice before chopping. Little by little, I began to understand the patience and timing that woodworking demands.

I learned to trust the process, to accept that perfectionism can help or hinder depending on the moment. As one of the commissioners, I also had to learn how to lead a project despite having no more knowledge or experience than anyone else on the team. That meant doing my best to listen well, recognise and draw on individual strengths, and discern when to chase precision and when to let go.

Building Lo Verily

Among the four boats our class built was a 14-foot Paul Gartside clinker dinghy that five of us constructed together. She carries a lug rig and is made entirely from British-grown timber except the centreboard and rudder which are made from plywood. Larch from a single tree was used for her planking and soleboards, oak and chestnut forming her backbone and fit-out, and Douglas fir for her spars.

Lo Verily: from wood to the water (launched at Lyme Regis)

We named her Lo Verily – a phrase our tutor, Matthew Law, often wove into conversation with gentle, old-fashioned charm. “In all truth,” it means. Matthew had a way of teaching that stayed with all of us: calm, humorous, unhurried, and endlessly patient. He could answer the same question repeatedly and make it feel as though he was hearing it for the first time. His influence lingers in every boat launched that year, and in the spark he left in each of us to keep learning.

Matthew Law, who is sadly no longer with us

Finding Woodbridge

After graduating, I took a moment to decompress after the intensity of the build period and to consider where to grow next. I knew I wanted to keep working with wood, particularly within traditional methods; so I began contacting boatyards across the country. One of the first conversations that led somewhere was with Matt in Woodbridge. A few calls and a trial later, and I found myself packing for Suffolk.

First impressions of the area

I had spent little time in the East of England before, having mostly lived in the West Country beforehand. The flatness was the first thing I noticed; the sense of quiet richness was the second. Woodbridge has a gentle pace shaped by tides, river light, and the steady presence of people who seem genuinely interested in one another. Community events appear and disappear like the tideline, and it does not take long before familiar faces begin to anchor the place.

The OGA Weekend

The OGA weekend in early May, held alongside the Wooden Trade Association, offered a perfect early introduction to that community. Talks, sea stories, shared knowledge, rigging tips, and laughter filled the riverbanks with a warm, companionable atmosphere. It was also Lo Verily’s first proper sail – a moment that felt both grounding and quietly celebratory.

Looking forward

Woodbridge already feels like a place where learning can continue – steadily, generously, with skilled and passionate people close by. I am looking forward to developing my craft, broadening my knowledge, and getting to know the Deben in all its moods as the seasons turn.

Ariana Cottam taking Lo Verily to the Rocks