Innehållsförteckning för May 2019 från Classic Boat

“Come with us on 60ft (18m) Thelma. 1897 gaff,” read Tony Blake’s email which was necessarily brief because he was “at sea cruising at present – very limited internet.” I had met Tony – brother of the late Peter Blake and an accomplished sailor in his own right – in Cowes a couple of years earlier and jumped at the chance to join him and his crew of 12 on Thelma for three days in January. Thelma was designed and built by the Logan Brothers – the largest boat they ever built – in 1897, more for cruising than racing. She had five owners before she was bought in the 1930s by Ronald Ernest “Johnnie” Johnson, a pacifist who, on the outbreak of World War Two, tried to sail Thelma…

It is 51 years since Alec Rose returned to a hero’s welcome back in Portsmouth to become only the second man in history to complete a continuous, solo, sailing circumnavigation of the world, albeit with two stops for repairs. Feted with a knighthood and the freedom of London and Portsmouth, this quiet and unassuming Southsea greengrocer is readily acknowledged as one Britain’s solo sailing pioneers alongside Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. But not so his yacht. Lively Lady seems to have been steeped in controversy ever since the death of the great man in 1991 when ownership was transferred to Portsmouth City Council. At 36ft (11m) long with 9ft (2.7m) of beam and 6ft (1.8m) draught, this traditional, long-keeled 12-tonner was built in Calcutta in 1948 by Englishman…

So Farewell then Viking Boats. As of 1 January, the workshop resounds to the cries of turkeys, rather than the riveting hammer or bandsaw. Boatbuilding was never going to be a reliable means to make a living, but kept the wolves from the door, and its owner busy in the dark winter days when most of the 25 or so boats were built or restored at the Old Milking parlour at Leckmelm, down by the shoreside of Loch Broom. I can’t say I miss those dawn starts. In the early years the cold never bothered me. The activity soon warmed you up, although visitors would invariably ask: “How can you work in the cold like this?” Well, no more. It is 8am on a freezing morning, and I am typing…

When Dick Carter came out of nowhere to win the 1965 Fastnet with his very first groundbreaking design Rabbit, The New York Times called him “the mystery man in American Yachting”. Quite rightly, because over the next decade, he would change the sport with a string of paradigm-shifting boat designs that dominated the top circuit of Grand Prix sailing races, including the Fastnet, the One Ton Cup race, and an Admiral’s Cup, winning a trophy for the American team in 1969, with the swing-keeled Red Rooster. Every sailor knows that boat speed is a function of waterline length and sail area. Longer hulls typically sail faster than shorter ones. Yet, despite his lack of formal training in naval architecture, Carter surprised his opponents by beating boats above his category and…

ARTISAN BOATWORKS Rebuilding history We seldom publish plans on this page, but we’re making an exception this month for Artisan Boatworks in Maine, because historic replicas are their stock in trade and they have built countless little craft (typically slender, racing dayboats from masters like Herreshoff and Alden) over the years. We asked Artisan boss Alec Brainerd which three boats from history he would like to build next, and here they are: two elegant sailing yachts and a ferry yacht. MAINE FERRY YACHT The original ferry Restless used to run between Northwest and Southwest Harbors on Mount Desert Island and Islesford on Cranberry Island, off the Maine coast. Designer Steve Baker thought she’d be a great dayboat for today’s leisure market, based on the good looks, the historical association and…

Haines Boatyard on the Itchenor foreshore has been renovating and maintaining wooden and GRP rowing boats, thanks to the rise in recreational rowing. One project has been the renovation of a Solent Galley. Originally built for racing in Portsmouth Harbour and around, the Solent Galley is a 30ft (9.1m) long, clinker-built, fixed-seat rowing boat with four oars and a cox. These light, slim, fast boats have some notable achievements to their names including the round-Isle of Wight rowing record. Southsea resident, the late Pat Sherwin, was passionate in his wish to preserve the few remaining examples of and established the Pat Sherwin Rowing Trust, which owns and operates a number of galleys. The growth in recreational, as opposed to racing, rowing has been considerable and this was recognised by Pat…

The Broads yard of Eastwood Whelpton has been busy this winter overhauling the oldest yacht in its Broads hire fleet ready for this year’s 60th anniversary of the yard’s foundation at the end of Upton Dyke by Tim and Anne Whelpton. The 30ft (9.1m) gaff-rigged wooden Broads yacht Bootlegger was built by Walter Woods for his hire fleet in 1923 and remained in hire until the outbreak of World War 2. She was bought by Tim Whelpton’s father after the war and used for family cruising until she formed part of Eastwood Whelpton’s original line up in 1959. Bootlegger was slipped in October for the current package of work which has included the replacement of the oak tabernacle, 16ft (4.9m) of planking, 100 oak timbers (which led to the replacement…

Boatbuilders frequently work with thinner timber than those engaged in terrestrial projects because weight is an issue. This complicates holding work flat for planing, because the thinner the wood is the more difficult it becomes for any mechanical clamp (vice, G-cramp, holdfast) to gain sufficient purchase while not obstructing the tool. The solution is simple and cheap, yet easily overlooked: the wood screw. Drill pilot holes and countersink for, say, a couple of 10-gauge screws of suitable length, aligned perpendicular to the edge of the work surface, then raise or lower the screws as required to act as planing stops, butting the end of the piece against them. For wide boards, add more screws in a longer line. When not required, the screws are driven into their countersunk holes, safely…

People often laugh at me for wearing full wet weather gear,” says Sigi Rittler with a smile when he greets us at the quayside in Cannes. Rittler, the owner of the Sonderklasse Tilly XV, who has kindly given up his place on board today to make way for me, can see that the four of us are soaked. “She is like a washing machine,” he adds. The Sonderklasse has its origins in Germany at the very end of the 19th Century. Kaiser Wilhelm II, an enthusiastic sailor, was keen to make the sport affordable for more people. A one-design class might have been the answer but they were virtually unheard of in those days and so, largely at the Kaiser’s instigation, a “restricted” or “development” class was introduced – something…

CHARLES MILLER LTD Rescue dog from royal yacht No one knows for sure whether Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Beatrice delivered the ultimatum “it’s me or the dog”, but when Prince Henry of Battenburg acquired the 98ft (29.9m) schooner Gelert in 1891 he replaced its exceptional figurehead with an image of his wife. Now only the figurehead survives. Gelert, named after the legendary dog of Welsh folklore, was built in Cowes by R & M Ratsey for prominent Royal Yacht Squadron member Colonel Edward Loyd in 1867, and its figurehead was produced by accomplished carver James Hellyer, whose family had a 400-year tradition of naval dockyard carving and whose work featured on HMS Victory. Prince Henry married Victoria and Albert’s fifth daughter, Beatrice, in 1885. He was appointed Governor of the…

By 1868, almost all new ships for the China trade were being built using composite construction, and the Clyde shipyards were producing more composite-built tea clippers than anywhere else in the country. Robert Steele & Co of Greenock and Alexander Stephen & Co of Glasgow were the most prolific of the Clyde builders. Yet instead of choosing one of these two, or even one of the more minor yards, the second-generation Scottish ship owner John Willis chose a firm that had been in business for less than a year and had launched only a single vessel – a steamship. The firm was Scott & Linton. Hercules Linton (b1836 at Inverbervie, north-east Scotland) was the son of Alexander Linton, later a surveyor for Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. Although no clipper ship…

ZEPHYRUS ‘Rot-resistant’ pocket cruiser From the drawing board of Fenwick Williams at the office of John Gale Alden, here is a 21ft (6.4m) pocket cruiser built relatively recently, in 1995. Improvements include a new mast and boom (2017), recent standing and running rigging, ad “much more.” She’s a fractional bermudan with about 271sqft (25.2m2) of upwind canvas, and “ample freeboard and spoon bow to keep sailors reasonably dry.” This boat was painstakingly built in New Orleans by a Maine-trained shipwright who used every available technique to build a rot-proof wooden boat, including pressure-treating the white oak ribs and using the most rot-resistant species. Two Maine owners have worked extensively to preserve and upgrade the vessel. Zephyrus was sailed regularly in summer 2018 and spent the winter under cover. She comes…

Panacea’s rig is exactly as designed by Ed Burnett, except she doesn’t have a jackyard topsail: the owner, Richard Allen, didn’t think he would need it when sailing from Perth where a stiff sea breeze – known as the “Fremantle Doctor” – blows most afternoons in the summer months. Ben Harris and his team made all the spars from “really nice, fine-grained Douglas fir” from Stones Marine Timber. Each one is simply constructed from two rectangular sections glued together to form a square section, and then shaped. A number of the spar and deck fittings were custom-made by Bronze Work in Woodbridge, Suffolk, some cast in bronze either using patterns the company already had or from patterns made by Ben, and others fabricated in bronze or stainless steel. These included…

27 MAY – 2 JUNE SEMAINE DU GOLFE DU MORBIHAN Brittany, France This week-long spectacular, set in the swirling tides and countless islands of the magical bay of Morbihan is without doubt one of the great sailing events in the world. The regatta follows a raid format, but there are as many cabin boats as there are dinghies and dayboats, parties, outdoor banquets, brilliant live music and some really nice passage making in very powerful tides. A unique experience. This year is the 10th holding of the event. semainedugolfe.com 5-9 JUNE LES VOILES D’ANTIBES Mediterranean coast, France The ‘Med season’ kicks off as it means to continue, with some pretty hot racing (wind is generally good at this time of year), and plenty of parties on shore. Established 1996 voilesdantibes.com…

ONE-OFF LAURENT GILES The Laurent Giles sloop whose name, Farida, means ‘unique’ or ‘beautiful’ in Persian. She’s both. EVENTS GUIDE 2019 The biggest regattas and races of the year from around the world ANTIQUE DIESEL SUPERYACHT A classic of the interwar years, restored with her original diesel engines PLUS… The Broads’ golden years of charter holidays in pictures; Panacea finally sailing; historic Broads yacht Sayonara; and much more besides JUNE 2019 ON SALE Friday 3 May, 2019 (or why not subscribe!) OTHER SAILING MAGAZINES FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF CLASSIC BOAT IN THE LATEST ISSUE • Cruising the Caribbean’s untamed coast • Thailand: anchorman Michael Buerk exolores • Tom Cunliffe’s tale of survival and stoicism IN THE LATEST ISSUE • Perfect starts – how to get ahead off the line •…

It will surprise many to learn that the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (admittedly with free entry) attracts more than 200,000 visitors, around four times as many as the last London Boat Show. And it isn’t even held on the Australian mainland, but in Hobart, on the relatively remote island of Tasmania, home to only half a million or so people. From the first two-day festival attended by 20,000 in 1994, the biennial event has grown hugely. Since 2007 it has been held over four days. On the first day of this year’s event, sunny but blustery conditions greeted the c250 boats in the Parade of Sail which, as ever, opened proceedings. The wind, blowing straight down the River Derwent into the parade’s teeth, didn’t suit the square-riggers, which had to…

This year’s regatta takes place from Cowes on the Isle of Wight from 13-20 July. This year’s event will be familiar to previous editions in that the friendly atmosphere ashore, the competition afloat and the organisation, with the help of Royal Yacht Squadron Racing on the water, will continue. There are, however, several aspects of the 2019 regatta that make it significant. Firstly, the British Classic Yacht Club, with new commodore Jonathan Dyke at the helm, is introducing a renewed focus on the concours d’elegance competition, with a panel of independent judges assessing each participating yacht on authenticity. There will be greater weight on this than in previous years, with separate prizes for the class and overall winners of the concours competition. These winners will be decided by the independent…

‘Pilot cutters helped build the empire. Sailing on a vessel like this strips you of your self-importance’MICHAEL WRIGHT, OWNER, CARLOTTA RESTORED SAILING VESSEL OVER 40FT CARLOTTA The world will always love Bristol Channel pilot cutters, for their husky good looks as much as their sheer utility born from their working roots. This one was built as a protection cutter but is now incorporated into the pilot cutter fleet. She needed extensive work at two yards on different continents – Abernethy and Gaudin in Canada’s Pacific Northwest and Elephant Boatyard on England’s south coast – to look the way she does today. Designed and built WH Halford, 1899, LOD 50ft (15.2m), rig gaff cutter‘ RESTORED SAILING VESSEL UNDER 40FT MARGAUX As slender and feminine as the pilot cutter is salty and…

Once the preserve of trading vessels, the 125 miles of lock-free rivers and lakes that make up the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads have been welcoming generations of holidaymakers since the late 19th Century, when they were “discovered” by wealthy Victorians in search of soft adventure. No doubt those early visitors were attracted by the prospect of sailing beautiful boats through this idyllic rural landscape: think wind pumps and tree-lined stretches of riverbank, villages of pretty thatched cottages, marshes, meadows and incredible wildlife, all crowned by wide open skies blessed with stunning sunsets. Increasingly sophisticated motor cruisers progressively eclipsed sailing craft as the dominant type of boat available for hire after the Second World War. Five specialist operators remain, still offering a wide range of classic sailing craft: Eastwood Whelpton, Martham…

Peter Brookes’ childhood was spilt between Britain and New Zealand and his boatbuilding career has followed a similar path. Born in NZ in 1963 to an English dad and Kiwi mum, the family moved back to the UK when he was three and then went “backwards and forwards” between the two countries before settling in Heybridge Basin, Essex when he was 11. “That was when my interest in wooden boats started,” he told me, “with clinker dinghies, dinghy racing and then a shipwright apprenticeship with Steve Partridge.” In 1990, he set up on his own in Maldon, Essex, where he concentrated on restoring West Solent One Designs – “at one time I had 13 of them in the yard” – and a few 6-Ms. Throughout that time, he frequently visited…

If Jack Sparrow had carried a saw instead of a flintlock pistol, this slotting saw would have looked the part. Even the name is suitably menacing for a tool shoved in a belt beside fertility charms, pelts and a shrunken head. But the slotting saw is for more peaceful and patient work than the cut and thrust of pirating. Although boatbuilders can be picky about the species of saw used on timber – rip, cross-cut, dovetail, tenon – it’s often a case of one saw fits every job for cutting metal: the hacksaw. A hacksaw performs well if fitted with the right blade for the type and thickness of material, but where it falls down is in cutting slots. The hacksaw blade is thin, with fine wave-set teeth designed to…

May 1989 – CB13 The most striking thing about the May 1989 issue, our first as a monthly, is not even inside the magazine. It’s on the back cover, where Henri Lloyd took a full-page ad to display its sailing clothing collection, featuring men with moustaches, zinceffect lip balm and even a white shellsuit. Time has not been kind to Henri Lloyd or the shellsuit, but inside the magazine is stuff of a more eternal nature: Cornish Crabbers (who then included a Coble 16 in the range), the Henley Traditional Boat Rally (on the up and up) and the 30Sqm Skerry Cruisers yachts. It just shows how timeless taste prevails.…

It was an honour when my Bristol 32 and 16 designs won the Powered Vessels New Build category in last year’s Classic Boat awards and I was delighted for the builder, Win Cnoops of Star Yachts. I was also particularly pleased to see my old friend David Moss win Best Traditional New Build for building Polly, his own design. In the early 1970s I studied Yacht and Powerboat Design at the then Southampton College of Technology, now Southampton Solent University. The three-year course was a ‘thin sandwich’ meaning that the periods from Easter to September in the first two years were spent in industry, the first period with a boatbuilder and the second in a design office. Design office spaces were hard to find, so I spent both periods working…