Small craft
Full specification
Wooden ships comments on this Merlin Rocket sailing dinghy. Devon £3250
The Merlin sailing dinghy was first developed by Jack Holt in 1946, later merging with the Rocket to become the modern Merlin Rocket with a over 3000 boats built and a keen race following.
The design concept limited only length and beam thus allowing a very flexible development of the class resulting in the latest design with extreme beam – trapezes not allowed – so different from the first boats.
This is Sail No 8 so a very early example.
Length 14’
Weight 98kg
Clinker planked mahogany with 9 planks per side, copper nails and roves to delicate steamed oak timbers and built like a piece of furniture.
Ply fore deck with spray breaker, mast stepped on the deck behind the spray breaker.
Roll round ply side decks.
Wide aft deck.
Ply centre-board in a mahogany box.
Re-rigged recently with Collars spruce mast and boom, new sails at the same time.
Stainless steel sheet horse.
Stainless steel rigging.
Boom-up cover.
The following link is a superb piece of archive footage from 1946 showing this very boat, Merlin No. 8, sailing in Christchurch.
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/two-men-in-a-boat/query/two+men+in+a+boat
A superb example of the boat builder’s art as well as being a very good early example of the class. These are performance boats, exciting to sail, easy to tow, quick to rig.
Surely not just a sailing dinghy, this is sailing heritage.
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