When Bradley Tatem (left) learned he was going to be an uncle for the first time, he wanted not only to make something very special for his only sibling - sister Nicola and her husband Robert Belvin - but also to create a family heirloom which could be passed down through generations of their child's descendants.

A skilled shipwright, he pondered long and hard what sort of gift to create until one evening, while browsing through some nautical magazines, he found his answer. He would make a boat-shaped cradle which would be an authentic replica of a lapstrake or clinker-built dinghy.

For the next three months he filled his spare time fulfilling his dream. A meticulous craftsman, Mr. Tatem planned his project and chose his materials carefully, not only for visual-appeal but also for safety and other reasons. He made patterns for the planking boards and other components, and also created a "steamer" system to bend wood to shape, which would use recycled parts from a boat's refrigeration compressor, a very hot fire, and a water hose.

Next he made the wooden mould over which the hull would be planked, and cut all of the wooden components by hand. Now the real work of assembly could begin.

First, Mr. Tatem made the skeleton from cedar to which the lapped white pine planks were then glued and fastened. Over these, on the interior, he then steamed and riveted the oak frames which help the boat keep its shape. It was finished with a cedar trim, including the transom, keel and stem. Finally, a "floor" of teak veneered plywood was added for the mattress to sit on.

As befits a nautical cradle, Mr. Tatem created its stand in the style of traditional davits using a laminate of cypress and mahogany. To this he attached the dinghy with solid brass and rope block and tackle fitments, thus allowing it to be raised and lowered as required. In addition, he added a small fastener between the boat bottom and the stand to prevent the cradle from being rocked, if desired.

He painted the hull's exterior in soft ivory, and finished the natural wood in non-toxic shellac. Finally, after three months of working solidly in his spare time, all that remained was to give the boat a name, and Mr. Tatem thought long and hard about possible choices. Naturally, he received plenty of suggestions from colleagues and visitors to Darrell Marine boatyard where he currently works, and in the end it was 'Junior' Caisey who came up with the winner.

"My father Skip's boat is called and Junior said, 'I see you've got there', and that was it," the shipwright says.

With the name duly written on the stern, all that remained was for Mr. Tatem's mother, Patti, to fit the mattress and bumpers, and then the cradle was ready for shipment.

"I couldn't afford to ship it in a wooden crate, so I got a large cardboard box and made a wooden frame within it, and then

filled the box with peanuts, and it travelled perfectly," Mr. Tatem says. "My father and Robert collected it from Toronto airport and took it to the couple's home."

Despite working to ensure that his gift arrived before the birth, little Austin Jonah Belvin had plans of his own, and beat his uncle's deadline by two days - an event that took nothing away from the cradle's reception, however.

In fact, the gift so touched the new parents that they were moved to tears.

For her part, Mrs. Belvin says, "I am absolutely proud of the talent my brother has, and that he took the time to create something like this. We were both stunned. We knew he was making a cradle, but we thought it would be traditional, and I was trying to imagine what details he would include, like spindles. It is truly magnificent, and fits in with the underwater fun d?cor of the nursery."

Mr. Tatem believes that, when his little nephew outgrows the cradle, it can be re-used for other things, such as storing toys or books, as he grows up. His local friends suggest, however, that it would also make a great party "cooler" filled with ice and beverages.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the shipwright - a design graduate of the Landing Boat School in Kennebunkport, Maine who not only grew up around boats but has also travelled the world crewing on a luxury yacht - is planning a major career change, and leaves tomorrow for Canada to study digital media. Like all students who need to finance their studies, he made a second, identically designed cradle, assisted by apprentice Robert Vaughan (right), which is for sale. It is currently on display in the Reid Street window of a Hamilton department store, and enquiries should be e-mailed to: bradtatemhotmail.com

Mr. Tatem has also made a photographic record of the boat's construction so that its new owner will have a visual history to keep. He recommends that the purchaser think twice about putting the boat, which is detachable from the stand, in the sea. While the cradle is made to the same standards as a real dinghy, and would float, he feels it should remain on dry land.

"I made it as a piece of furniture," he says.