CHICHESTER: A retired Covers Timber and Builders Merchant employee has restored a sailing boat entirely out of Covers plywood and hardwood.
Peter Rice, who was a kitchen planner for Covers from 1990 to 2001, is an expert carpenter and has named the yacht, Rhubarb. He purchased the sunken wreck from Dell Quay 30 years ago and has been working on it in his free time ever since.
He said: "I have always had an interest in restoring old boats and this has been on-going for a number of years. Since my retirement, I have been able to really crack on and it's fantastic that it's finally finished. It seemed extremely fitting to source the materials from my old company. It sails very well and I'm looking forward to spending some time enjoying it now that the hard work is finished."
Henry Green, commercial manager at Covers, commented: "I'm thrilled that a Covers veteran has come back to us for supplies for his hobby. Things like this really boost staff morale. The boat looks very impressive. It's a real achievement and, on behalf of everyone at Covers, I would like to congratulate Peter on this feat."
