Wandering around Dockyard earlier in the year, Tom Newstead noticed a dilapidated old vessel in one of the boatyards. Closer inspection revealed that it was a Bermuda-crafted cedar boat that had, sadly, been allowed to fall into almost total ruin.

As a boatbuilder by trade who grew up in the fishing village of Seaton Sluice in Northumberland, he had been apprenticed for six years while learning his craft. For some years, he worked as ship's carpenter for the Cunard Line. He also gained a reputation for general wood crafting, going on to do important restoration work on Nelson's ship HMS Victory in Portsmouth Harbour and at Southsea Castle -- from where King Henry VIII had famously watched the Mary Rose sink less than a mile offshore. When Hampton Court and then York Minster caught fire, his expertise was called on in the extensive restoration work that followed.

When Mr. Newstead saw the abandoned boat, he was immediately intrigued by the basic beauty of the boat's design. After extensive inquiries he was able to trace the owner who then sold it to him.

Now, nine months later, he has almost finished restoring the vessel to its former glory as an outstanding example of Bermudian craftsmanship. As he puts the finishing touches of `Britannia' blue paint on the hull, he estimates that it will take another three or four months before his work is done.

"This is a unique boat, as there were only two built like this and I believe the other one sank,'' says Mr. Newstead of the 23-foot craft known as Rambler . "I believe it was built in or around 1922 and that the `twin' boat was called Cupid . I believe it was used as a fishing boat. I know that when Lloyd Charlton owned it, it was well cared for but then he sold it and it's been neglected for the past few years. If anyone could give me any further information on the history of Rambler I would be very pleased.'' Although he would like to keep the boat, Mr. Newstead says that if he were to sell, the boat would have to go to someone who would guarantee adequate care.

"It has to stay in Bermuda and be well looked after because it is part of Bermuda's maritime heritage and boat-building traditions.'' Meticulous repairs, carried out after work and at weekends entailed the gutting and replacement of five cedar planks and frames in the bottom of the boat to match the original work.

"These original frames were taken from the branches of cedar trees and were `grown to shape'. This is a very old and interesting tradition of boat building. In England, for instance, in the 16th and 17th centuries, oak and ash trees were specially cultivated for boat-building by purposely bending the young saplings to the shape desired. If they used normal straight planks of wood, known as `short grain', they would snap very easily. If the wood was moulded to the shape of the stern itself, it was obviously far more pliable and therefore stronger.'' In order to bend the cedar planks to the desired shape, Mr. Newstead used a process of steaming.

Mr. Newstead, who is currently employed in Bermuda as a furniture restorer, says he is grateful for all the help given him in his monumental task by his friends, artist Paul Clinton and chef Robert Bozer.

Since his arrival here seven years ago, Tom Newstead's carvings and wooden sculptures have been featured in numerous art shows and galleries around the Island, including the Bermuda Society of Arts and the Arts Centre at Dockyard.

His rocking-horses, some of which are carved in cedar, have been featured at the Heritage House gallery and also won first prize at the annual Agricultural Show.

RESTORER -- Tom Newstead has spent the last eight months restoring the cedar boat to its former glory.