'We are outsiders': the female boatbuilders of Instagram

Building, fixing, de-rusting and refitting - women are making waves in the traditionally male-dominated boatbuilding industry and supporting each other on social mediaPhotographs by Alicia CanterBelinda 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 Continue reading...