About the Builders & The Journey
Seven years ago, Matt and Iefke embarked on an ambitious journey: building a wooden boat from scratch with no prior experience and a simple (or naive?) “let’s just start and see what happens” budget. Over the intense years that followed, they worked tirelessly on the build and ways to fund it, earned trade qualifications, learned hard-won lessons in perseverance and compromise, documented the journey for a supportive global audience, and—best of all—still enjoy hanging out together.
The result is Tarkine—a 41ft Pilot Cutter featuring a Tasmanian Oak hull, diagonal over strip-planking, triple-glassed and built to last. Above all, they earned the rare satisfaction of fulfilling a dream. Now, Matt and Iefke stand at a new beginning: preparing to sail Tarkine across oceans to Iefke’s home port in the Netherlands.
The Design & Working Boat Heritage
In keeping with this year’s festival theme—Working Boats—Tarkine draws direct lineage from the famed Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters. Developed in the 19th century as fast, weather-resistant workboats, pilot cutters navigated one of the world’s most treacherous shipping lanes. Pilotage was a fiercely competitive trade: the first cutter to reach an incoming ship secured the job.
This “race for work” demanded seaworthy hulls with deep draft, heavy ballast, and iconic “wine-glass” sections designed to come back upright if knocked flat by squalls. Crucially, they had to be handled safely by tiny crews—often just two people and a young boy who would sail the vessel back to port solo. Tarkine carries these legendary working boat traits forward in a robust, modern-traditional build.
Where to Find Tarkine at the Festival:
On-Land Viewing Platform: Come admire Tarkine up close! As the largest vessel featured on land, a dedicated viewing platform lets you inspect her decks and layout from above.
Meet the Builders: Matt and Iefke will be on-site during designated times to chat about the build process, technical specs, and trade learnings.
Festival Symposium: Head over to the Symposium to catch their full presentation and Q&A session.
