‘We are outsiders’: the female boatbuilders of Instagram
Belinda Joslin has owned, raced, maintained and repaired boats all her life. So when she was looking for work after her children started school, she approached her local boatyard in Ipswich. They offered her a job as a finisher and her life was quickly taken over by sanding, painting and varnishing. “I turned up at the school gate absolutely filthy,” says Joslin, 48.
Keen to find other women who shared her passion, she set up an Instagram account in May 2021 called Women in Boatbuilding. “I thought I couldn’t be the only woman in the world obsessed with fixing boats,” she says. “I wanted to make contact with other women and hear their stories. I’ve discovered some incredible, inspiring women.”
Belinda on Pegasus, a 23ft (7-metre) Ajax racing keel boat that has been in her family for 40 years
Joslin with her toolkit on Pegasus; and the plaque inside Maybe Baby, built by Joslin and her father
Initially, the aim was to celebrate each other’s achievements but as the women opened up about their experiences, they began to share some of their difficulties and the battles they were fighting. Boatbuilding is still largely a male preserve. Many of the women have experienced sexism and found they have had to work harder than the men to prove their skills.
“As an industry, we are a long way off gender parity,” Joslin says. “A lot more could be done.” Joslin wants the account to be a lobbying force for equality and diversity in boatbuilding, as well as a place to showcase and support women in the industry.
Sacha Walker on Kelpie, a 44ft racing yacht, in Ipswich marina
The noise and clatter of the boatyard remind Sacha Walker of the rhythms of setting up a festival or gig. Walker, 53, a former tour manager and music agent, now works as a
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