Building a Gig: A Family Affair

Little did Peter Martin think that he’d be called out of retirement by his American Grandson, Dylan Sofio.

Luckily when Peter hung up his tools in 2014 and moved from Scilly to Gweek, he kept his gig moulds. Peter had previously built 12 Cornish Pilot Gigs and throughout his time living in Scilly, had rebuilt, and renovated all the original Scillies gigs. Dylan had always shown an interest in boat building during his visits to Scilly in the summer holidays. When he graduated from High School in Los Angeles, he got a place at IYRS boat building school in Newport, Rhode Island.

The rest is history and when he graduated after two years at IYRS, Peter received a phone call asking if he’d be prepared to build a gig with Dylan.

Peter then had to find a workshop and source a supply of elm and materials to build a gig. In January 2019, Dylan and his friend from college, Patrick Killion, arrived and set up a workshop at Gweek Classic Boatyard.

With the help of a very proud Grandfather, Peter Martin, work progressed on the gig. Albeit slowly as the boys returned to America for Christmas and no sooner had they arrived back at the boatyard, coronavirus hit and they decided to return home once more, before recommencing their build at the end of the summer of 2020.

Work on the gig ticked over and she was timbered by Christmas ready to continue with the thwarts, gunwales, etc in the New Year. It was unfortunate that Peter suffered some ill health and had to undergo some operations which caused a delay to the progress of the gig.

In July 2021, Patrick was offered a job in San Francisco and decided to accept the offer. Dylan and Peter finished the gig in September 2021 and she has the official CPGA number 220.