Innehållsförteckning för February 2019 från Classic Boat

As tall ships showed their paces throughout Canada’s Maritime Provinces, parading in honour of the country’s sesquicentennial, one boat stood out. She was HMCS Oriole – a long low silhouette, graceful ends and classic ketch rig in a fleet that ran the gamut from mighty square riggers to somewhat chunky freighter conversions. With her yachting demeanour, Oriole was at the other end of the spectrum from the navy training vessels present from the USA, Chile and Portugal, but she has served ably as the platform on which many trainee officers gained their first experience of life on the briny. My younger brother Robert was accepted into the Royal Canadian Navy as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant shortly after university. He sailed on the Oriole through much of 1982, with further stints over…

There must be something soothing about wooden boats that so many of my friends’ children recall growing up to the sound of gurgling water, an inch or less of pitch pine/larch or plywood from their little ears. Jack and Mollie, Ella and Hannah, Hamish and Meghan to name but a few. There’s another on the way as I write this, and for sure his first sounds will include the splash of water on wood. I suppose it is simply an extension of the sounds and sensations they would have been used to for nine months, inside, and no doubt outside as their intrepid parents eked out the last of their free time before even the hardiest of them decided it was time to swallow the anchor for a while. Not…

SLIPSTREAM Designed and built by Andrew Richardson, 1967, LOD 24ft (7.3m), rig berm sloop Slipstream, a Broadland OD inspired by a Victorian Thames rater, is one of three to survive (two in wood, one glass) of five built. The Richardson family kept this, the second wooden boat, in their Potter Heigham yard for 17 years until Robin Richardson decided to restore her. Work included serious repairs to the triple-diagonal hull and a new deck. LIVELY LADY Designed by Fred Shepherd, built by SJP Cambridge, 1948, LOD 36ft (11m), rig berm yawl Sir Alec Roses’ round-the-world ketch has been kept highly original over the years and her recent restoration, started late in 2017 at the Hayling Island Yacht Company, has been sensitive to this. She’s had a new deck, complete refurb…

HOPE Designed and built by Jonny Burke, LOD 16ft 6in (5m), rig gaff sloop Owners are always demanding, and this boat had to be “light, trailable, stable, fast, roomy and, above all, beautiful”. Her Glasgow builder realised the brief in fir planks on oak ribs and an iroko centreline, with all spars in Sitka spruce. The ecstatic owner, who believes Jonny ticked every box, keeps her on the Teign Estuary in Devon, where she is pictured. EMPRESS OF BLANDINGS Designed by owner and builder, built by First Light Boatworks, LOD 34ft (10.4m), rig bermudan ketch The Massachusetts builders were busy finishing this Danish fishing boat-inspired double-ender when we visited last summer. She’s billed as a ‘day-sailer’ in the American sense (there’s a very usable cabin!), and carries a full keel,…

VIJONARA Designed by Hoek Design, built by Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw and Pendennis Shipyard, LOD 129ft (39.3m), rig bermudan cutter Boats like this are almost always one-off s and that’s what we assumed when we tested the first Truly Classic 128 in 2014, praising her for her sailing abilities and superlative fit-out. But now the second aluminiumhulled TC128 has arrived, Vijonara, seen here, boasting all the refinements of the first and more, and there are sister ships in build. ANNA Designed by Stephens Waring Yacht Design, built by Lyman-Morse (Maine, USA), LOD 65ft 6in (20m), rig bermudan sloop A full-scale mock-up of the yacht was built before the real version, to make sure all the details worked. This is a ‘day-sailer’ with accommodation for six plus crew, built in cold-moulded timber. The…

The Gulf of Saint-Tropez served up a day to remember for the eighth edition of the Centenary Trophy in October. A three-metre swell and 25-knot winds forced several retirements and caused one dismasting, but it was the smallest boat in the fleet that took honours on the day, the 39ft 4in (12m) Tilly XV defending her 2017 title to take the trophy once again. The race, organised every year since 2011 by the Gstaad Yacht Club, as part of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, is for boats that are 100 years old or more. It is raced in a pursuit format with staggered starts, the idea being that the hugely varied fleet will finish close together (continued overleaf). CENTENARY TROPHY 2018 WINNER The German crew of Tilly XV take different approaches…

They used to be a ship broker, a naval officer, an IT specialist and a musician in the Coldstream Guards. Then, they all individually decided to change their lives by training as boatbuilders at the Lyme Regis Boatbuilding Academy, where they met and became bonded by a joint love of boats and craftsmanship. Now, Simon Olszowski, Sam Sheppard, Jamie Chitty and Sam Smith have joined forces to create the Beautiful Boat Company to continue to build beautiful wooden boats in Lyme Regis. These are the first fruit of their labours… HESTERCOMBE ESTATE PUNT The first boat built by the Beautiful Boat Co was commissioned by Hestercombe Gardens near Taunton to recreate a scene photographed on the estate in 1904. Old photos showed the estate’s last private owner, Constance Portman, along…

In the old days it was standard practice for boatbuilders to cast their own ballast keels but, for some years now, this sort of work has been carried out by specialist companies. For Ben Harris & Co, in Cornwall, however, having cast the 3-tonne keel for Alva, the 30ft gaff cutter the company built in 2011, it only made sense to cast the 1.4-tonne keel of its latest creation, another gaff cutter, Panacea. The starting point was a male plug replicating the shape of the keel, and then a plywood box was built around it to form a female mould. Although lead shrinks by about 1% when it has been cast, Ben didn’t feel the need to make any allowance for this because the difference over the keel’s width would…

It had been a 20-year wait out of commission and then a three-year restoration. Now the 1923 Camper and Nicholson yawl Barbara had only to sit patiently while speeches were made and some photographs were taken. Her new owner Roberto Olivieri spoke, as did Enrico Zaccagni who had managed the restoration, and the comandante of the local coastguard, and the vice president of the local yacht club, the Club Nautico Versilia. In the warm Italian sunshine, the crowd clapped. All those involved in the project were congratulated and then photographed together under the bow, before to great applause Barbara slid graciously back into the water. Barely three hours later she was sailing again. Barbara was designed by Charles E Nicholson, one of 11 yawls he produced, three of which came…

When you’re hurtling across open water towards a target at 33 knots in a waterborne missile with 300kg of high explosives in your bow, timing is critical. That was the lot of the single Italian crewman of the Motoscafo Turismo Modificato (MTM), who’d line up the target, set the helm and bail out over the stern just 50-100 metres before impact. Thus did these beautiful instruments of death meet their fate; for a “successful” pilot the chances of evading capture were slim. However, although the “barchinos” met with some success in the Second World War it was with the return of peace that these high-speed projectiles provided the template for a generation of lightweight racing powerboats using the same legendary Alfa Romeo 6C 2500cc six-cylinder engine, which in the Italian…

ARIKI Designed and built by Arch Logan, 1904, LOD 50ft (15.1m), rig gaff cutter On 29 April, Auckland Harbour bore witness to the spectacle of the re-launch of the 1904 gaff cutter Ariki, designed and built by Arch Logan, New Zealand’s answer to Fife III. She was bought by Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart in December 2016, who sent her to boatbuilder Robin Kenyon of Auckland, who started a complete restoration in April 2017. Her hull is in triple diagonal Kauri pine. LYNHER Built by James Goss Shipyard, 1896, LOD 50ft 2in (15.6m), rig gaff cutter A caption in Lost Ships of the West Country reads “Lynher in the Lynher: the river provides a death-bed for its namesake.” Great caption but the dead West Country river trader would be better…

SWEET MYRRH Designed and built by Saunders-Roe, 1912, LOD 27ft (8.2m) Henwood and Dean, now under the captaincy of Dan Wood and 26-year-old former apprentice Tony Knights, took a prestigious ‘best in show’ award at the Henley Traditional Boat Festival for the five-month restoration of Sweet Myrrh. Much work was done to the hull, which was built to the ‘Consuta method’ (an early stitch-and-glue system), and there were no drawings to go on, not that it seemed to matter in the end. TETHRA Designed and built by Curtis and Pape, 1971, LOD 36ft (11m) Built in the dusk of boats like this, Tethra was a carvel fishing boat and in delapidated condition until childhood friends Charlotte Whyte and Jess Harris (both keen cooks) restored her with the help of friends…

In three short years, the Hamble Classics regatta has become the official season-ender for the UK south coast’s historic yachts, big and small. Hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, this weekend of Solent racing was swelled to 75 entries from as far afield as Falmouth, Ipswich and Plymouth. The 2018 event was my yacht Sea Jay’s second foray into the Hamble Classics mix of well-spirited racing and socialising. But it was the first time that she had been helmed by a triple Olympic medallist. To keep us on course, we managed to enlist the help of Rodney Pattisson, whose name will be forever etched in the memories of a generation of sailors for his victories in the Flying Dutchman class at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. He won a…

The Herreshoff 12.5, AKA the ‘Buzzards Bay Boy’s Boat’, is perhaps the most desirable small, classic dayboat in the world. There were hundreds built, but families seldom let them go. The Herreshoff Marine Museum is offloading four right now, so this is a rare chance to buy one in top-flight nick, or more cheaply, as a restoration or tidy-up project. SWALLOW Very rare bermudan-rigged H12 with her builder’s plate, built in 1939 for Mr Arthur C Dorrance of Fisher’s island and now in need of restoration. Swallow is a very rare boat, one of only five “improved model” boats built for customers in the Fishers Island fleet, of which only three are known to remain. The boats have a wider side deck and a raised afterdeck, features incorporated into the…

The understated exterior of Haven Boatworks stands in contrast to the artistry created within. Towering buildings, fashioned in white plastic, wood and tin, occupy a chunk of Port Townsend’s industrial docks. The heart of operations is a wooden office and inside is Stephen Gale, owner and soul of the business, who showed up in ’96 for a two-week job and hasn’t left since. Situated near fish central and with a 400-tonne travel lift onsite, it’s no surprise to hear that commercial boats have been a mainstay. “We grew out of the fishing boat business,” Gale says. Though yachts now consume the majority of the yard's talents, he still favours the Halibut Schooners. “Those fishing boat captains – I’ve never known more exacting customers.” Service off erings grew from need. “We…

Few have wrestled with a seized nut or bolt without resorting to the Mole self-grip wrench, better known as Mole grips. When other tools have chewed the corners off the hexagon without turning a single thread, Mole grips offer a last-gasp purchase on the miscreant to break its hold. ‘Locking pliers’ is the tool’s generic name, and better describes its marriage of the lever’s mechanical advantage to an ‘over-centre’ locking device for the jaws, enabling the tool to stay clamped to the work until the release lever is activated. The ‘overcentre’ action depends on the articulated lower handle and its toggle lever (which crosses between the handles) straightening out as the moving jaw closes against the work, thereby causing the toggle lever’s pivot with the lower handle to cross the…

Port Townsend’s annual celebration of wood on water is far more than a festival. During four packed days, a veritable university of all things wood offers classes, demonstrations, speakers and hands-on learning opportunities from world class experts and authors. This year I set myself a challenge to learn 10 great ideas for my own sailing. It kept me running and I met passionate owners, builders, collectors, gurus and wood-boat nuts galore. Here’s what I picked up. (And the next festival will be 6-8 September 2019. You never know what you might learn!)…

Barton has always been an innovator. Why offer wooden blocks? We set out to develop a new variety of wooden blocks that provide high performance, are engineered with precision assemblies, are easier to maintain and are lighter weight for classic racing sailors. What inspired the range's name, Victory? As a British manufacturer, we wanted to celebrate this beautiful wooden vessel! What are they made up of? The design principle is ‘classic appearance, modern performance’, so inside we have high-performance materials, while outside we have ash cheeks, held in place with solid brass fittings. The cheeks are easily removed to enable them to be re-varnished or painted as required. Are you tempted to consider other production wooden fittings? We expanded the range to include wooden double and triple ball bearing blocks…

RNLI CALENDAR One calendar we missed in our recent round-up, this features atmospheric images shot on glass plates by RNLI enthusiast Jack Lowe, as he visits every RNLI lifeboat station around the coast. 300mm x 600mm (12in x 24in). £15 lifeboatstationproject.com CHOPPING BOARD AND MUG Bright and breezy nautical products for the home from Coastal Home, including dish cloths, mugs, chopping boards, aprons, furniture and more. Chopping board £17, mug £11.50 coastalhome.co.uk GINGER RUM This new tipple will turn the heads of all rum lovers. Spytail Ginger Rum is available across the UK, based on a 19th Century French recipe of infusing fresh ginger and spices in Cognac barrels. £28 for 70cl. whenwearegiants.com RN WARSHIP SIGNALLING LAMP Former Royal Navy brass ship’s search light mounted on a brass machine gun…

RASCAL Designed by Ken Bassett, built by Beautiful Boat Company, 2018, LOD 16ft 6in (5m), 60hp outboard Designed to emulate the two-seater sports cars of the 1930s and built in cold-moulded wood, this stretched version of Bassett’s ‘Rascal’ design was made to turn heads, or even crick necks, with a top end of 45 knots, if you dare. Go-faster sapele stripes either side of the king plank, stainless steel cutwater and exaggerated tumblehome all add to the look. NYALA Designed by Sparkman and Stephens, built by Ventis Jachtbouw, LOD 56ft 8in (17.3m), rig bermudan yawl The S&S inboard yawl, a lineage that started in 1930 with Dorade, has become one of the biggest revival classes in the world of classic sailing over recent decades. Now, here come the new ones.…

FORTUNA II Designed by Fred Parker, built by the Nunn Brothers (Waldringfield), 1959, LOD 42ft (12.8m) Despite her poor condition, Fortuna II was the only motorboat that John and Catherine Hindle, being sailing folk at heart, could bear to buy when they went looking for something easier to handle. They took her to Charlie Hussey at Baltic Wharf in Totnes, Devon, who spent four years making her look like she does here. MAGYAR Designed and built by Saunders-Roe, 1936, LOD 45ft (13.7m) We’ve been keeping an eye on the Saunders-Roe twin-screw diesel yacht (TSDY) at Suffolk’s Harbour Marine Services for some time now, as she represents not only the forgotten glamour of Saunders-Roe, better known for flying boats, but the apogee of restoration from a yard that has specialised in…

Being rowed across a stretch of water by a ferry boat is quite a rare thing in the UK. There is only a handful of rowing ferries still operating, even the shortest rides having long been conducted under motor power. There is one ferry boat, however, that is still rowed, still wooden clinker and it has been run by the same family for five generations. “Hold on!” calls Dani Church as I climb into the Walberswick to Southwold ferry and take my place among a gaggle of holidaymakers chatting happily. As Dani pulls us over the 164ft (50m) distance to the other side of Suffolk’s idyllic River Blyth, those on board fall silent, all enjoying a moment of calm. “I don’t like mobile phones being used,” whispers Dani between strokes,…

LESS THAN £10K OWNER’S VIEW Waterwitch is a 4-ton gaff cutter launched in 1936. I bought her in 2006 as a diversion after a second marital shipwreck. Although I started sailing over 50 years ago I had little experience of traditional wooden boats or gaff rig and some early experiences with Waterwitch made me think about selling her. These included seeing the stern lifted out of the water after the bowsprit caught behind a pile at Iron Wharf on a rising tide, seeing a seam of mud extruded between two planks near the head after grounding and having rusty water drip on me as I tried to sleep. After much prevarication I determined to keep Waterwitch and make her capable of taking me, in the spirit of David Hillyard, “anywhere…

Edited by Steffan Meyric Hughes: +44 (0)207 349 3758 Email: steffan@classicboat.co.uk WINDSOR, UPPER THAMES Rare Thornycroft launch exhumed after 62 years under a tarp Colin Messer has been hard at work restoring a modest, but original 1939-built Thornycroft launch, which was found still with its original and very rare Thornycroft engine intact. It had been under a tarpaulin at the end of a garden in Farnborough, Surrey, since 1956. “We dragged her out in April 2013,” said her owner, the serial boat restorer and vehicle enthusiast Wint Taylor. “She had been the subject of experimental use for different grades of fiberglass and catalysts to develop control surfaces for aircraft for RAE Farnborough, for whom the husband-and-wife owners worked as chemists,” he continued. She might be Britain’s earliest known GRP-sheathed boat.…