Boat building buzz sustains Picton man

Wednesday, 31 October 2018

Gordon Gardiner has built 50 elaborate model boats in the last year after being told he had a year to live.

If you were told you only had a short time to live what would you do?

For Picton resident Gordon Gardiner the answer is building as many model boats as he can.

Gardiner said he suffered from emphysema and just over a year ago was told his lungs 'were stuffed' and there was not much more the hospital could do.

Gardiner has moved into a workshop at the Picton Seaport Trust.

'I got told by the specialist that I wasn't that well and I went into palliative care. I'm on morphine and all sorts of medicines.'

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Gardiner used to build model boats years ago, and decided to go back to his passion.

'I'll see how many I could build before I die.'

Working 10-hour days in his backyard workshop Gardiner said he has built 50 elaborate model boats, mostly sailing ships, including the HMS Endeavour, over the past year. He recently moved to a space in the Picton Powerhouse Maritime Heritage Reserve.

The interior of one of Gordon Gardiner's ships.

He said the buzz he got from boat building had given him 'another lease of life', and he has already outlived the doctors' prognosis.

Gardiner worked as a shipwright on and off for 20 years and as a carpenter at other times in his life.

Gordon Gardiner has built 50 elaborate model boats in the past year.

'I just love building boats, I've always loved building boats, big and small,' Gardiner said.

'I love to see one take shape and look at it sitting there. It gives me a buzz.'

Gardiner says his current boat might be his last.

It takes Gardiner about three weeks to build a boat.

Each boat took a few weeks to make, and are extremely detailed, right down to complex rigging, miniature cannons and cannon balls. About 10 had been sold, and the rest were on display at the maritime village.

'This is the result of the year, and I'm still going,' he said.

A few weeks ago, Gardiner opened up the museum to the public to show them what was there.

'It's about getting something out there to leave behind. A legacy.'

'When people come into the museum later on they'll be able to see what I did.'

But he suspected the boat he was currently working on would be his last.

'I'm slowing down at the moment, I'm getting very slow.

'I do about four or five hours a day. I'm going to give it up shortly.'