In 2003, Fife-based Alec Jordan left behind a career in IT and turned his boat building hobby into a full time career. Today, not only does Alec create beautiful wooden boats by hand (for his company, Jordan Boats), but thanks to his design skills and enthusiasm, coastal communities all over Scotland are rekindling their lost connections to the sea.

Alec Jordan Alec’s passion for coastal rowing is set to reach a pinnacle at the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival on 23 and 24 June 2012. Held at Portsoy on the northeast coast of Scotland, this annual celebration of maritime heritage will play host to Scotland’s biggest ever skiff regatta, with 19 traditional wooden boats expected to do battle on the waves of the Moray Firth.

Alec, a self-taught boat builder, explains: “Going from IT into boat building is a pretty big jump, but boat building has been a hobby of mine for quite some time. Knowing that you are building something that will last and be used for years to come is so satisfying.”