In 2007 the Falmouth Marine School built 4 boats as a training exercise based on the traditional Cornish designs for small inshore fishing boats.
Before the Great Gale at the end of the 19th century destroyed so many of the West Country fishing boats most small working boats used the lug rig for it’s simplicity, ease of handling and low cost. Government grants to the fishing industry promoted the new gaff rig with which we are so familiar today.
Carvel planked in larch, copper fastened to oak frames.
wooden ships comments on this Scorpion sailing dinghy
The Scorpion sailing dinghy is a class of small, light-weight sailing dinghy originally designed to launch through the surf of the Cornish beaches, first built in 1959 to a design by T.J. Dorling.
It rates the same as a Laser and with a very fully adjustable rig is fairly athletic, can be sailed single handed but best with 2 for max performance and a fun first boat for the more competitive or for youngsters learning the ropes.
This example, Sail No 1829 was built in 1980/81 and was seen in very smart, clean condition. Excellent quality varnish, small area of surface veneer on the fore deck sanded through, all recent colour-coded lines, sails carefully bagged and stored in the dry.
Construction.
Hard chine planing hull built in marine ply, black enamelled topsides with name in bold along each side. The hulls are built to strict class measurements whilst the rig controls and cock-pit lay-out are left to individual choice.
The light weight makes the dinghy easily handled ashore or on a trailer so ideal for youngsters and of course this makes for a fast boat in the right hands.
Varnished mahogany faced marine ply deck and transom.
Built-in buoyancy each side and forward under the fore deck to give a double bottom forward, all with screw-tight inspection holes.
Expansive fore deck back to the mast keeps the boat dry. Spinnaker well at the stem
Varnished interior back-bone and bridge deck.
Sole painted in non-slip grey deck paint with foot straps each side.
Midships bridge deck with numerous control lines.
Big clear plastic drain flaps in the transom
Drop on, lifting rudder.
Plywood centre-board.
The rig sets 9.95sqm sail.
Mainsail: 72sq’ (6.7sqm) Seen in good clean condition, bagged
Jib: 35sq’ (3.25sqm) New 2006
Spinnaker 119.9sq’ (11.14sqm) Small tear, repaired. Appears little used.
Alluminium mast by Superspars of Fareham with adjustable swept-back spreaders
Spreader tension and mast angle all adjustable under way.
Alluminium boom and spinnaker pole.
All rig lines, sheets and centre-board control lines with snatch jammers accessible on the midships bridge deck even when single-handing.
Good quality piggy-back road trailer with stainless steel launching trolley.
Records show she won the Nationals in 1981 and continued very competitive racing again in 1984-86 and in 1990, 1994 and in 1996. Present ownership since 2008, she has been dry sailed on the fresh water Cumbrian lakes
Built as a top quality boat she is still a very nice clean example and ready for immediate use.
wooden ships comments on this Mevagissey fishing tosher
built by Frazier Yard, Mevagissey in 1955 for local fisherman John Hocking. One of the most successful small fishing boats to have ever worked our coast, she was designed as mackerel/pilchard driver and fished with handlines. Hocking retired at the age of 81, selling the boat and her licence to another Mevagissey local who never used the boat as intended and laid up ashore.
Traditional straight stem with transom hung rudder and a sweet sheer line. Extra thick sheerstrake, picked out in white, rising several inches to the raised foredeck. Large diameter rope rubbing band around the boat at the sheerstrake level.
Large foredeck with substantial mooring cleat. Wooden wheelhouse with opening side windows. Hand rails on the wheelhouse roof, small light mast with stainless steel wire stays.
Large deep open working deck with pine sole boards. Centre thwart over the engine box. Small thwart at the aft end over the fuel tank.
Planked in larch and yellow pine, copper fastened to 1”x 1 ¾” steamed oak timbers at 7” centres. Heavy gunnel with a beamshelf below. Oak floors.
Small mizzen gaff sail used when fishing, currently off the boat but able to be fitted if required.
Machinery
Lister 3 cyl main engine on the centre line with stainless steel shaft to 3 blade bronze propeller.
Lister 2 cyl auxiliary wing engine, hand start. A lot of fishing boats had an auxiliary because they were at sea for long hours in all weathers so needed the back up of a second engine in case of mechanical failure. This wing engine is in need of attention because it has had so little use over the years.
Sheltered steering position in the wheelhouse with spoked wooden wheel. Tiller steering with single lever controls at the aft end.
30 gallon stainless steel diesel tank
Furuno GPS
Koden colour sounder
Eagle Super Pro Fishfinder
Kelvin hughes VHF
This is a very seaworthy boat that has proved itself time and time again throughout her working life. Although in need of some attention, she is ready to steam away, makes no water and could be used as she is, making a great family day boat or she could even be coded as a commercial passenger/tripper boat.
A very pretty classic launch, built by Robin East at his Chesford Marine Boatyard, Frogmore near Kingsbridge in Devon in 1978.
Designed by Alan Pape of Looe, Cornwall.
Chesford Marine produced a number of launches and small sailing yachts, all beautifully built using traditional methods and materials. The yard was closed in the early 1980s when planners gave permission for change of use to 2 houses of unfortunate design thus removing yet another support to the yachting infrastructure. Holiday homes before local jobs.
The design features a large cock-pit with a midships bulkhead dividing the cock-pit from the 2-berth cabin under the forward coach-roof.
This is a particularly good example, clean with a very nice varnish finish everywhere, no apparent faults. Lives in a purpose-built boathouse.
Clinker planked in mahogany, the topsides finished varnished, the bottom anti-fouled, on steam bent oak timbers all fastened with copper nails and roves.
Transom hung rudder operated by cables to a traditional spoked wheel on the bulkhead. Slot in the rudder stock head takes a tiller for emergency or alternative use.
Twin galvanised steel plate bilge keels allow the launch to sit comfortably on a beach or a road trailer.
New deck in 2005, very nicely laid in swept teak over a ply sub deck with varnished mahogany cover-boards. Varnished teak king plank on the fore deck and the aft deck.
Oak Sampson post on the fore deck takes fwd mooring lines.
Single chain roller on the stbd side of the stemhead.
Galvanised chain spurling pipe.
Pair of galvanised cleats on the aft deck take the aft mooring lines.
A very fine ensign staff mounts in a bronze deck fitting on the aft deck.
A small varnished pine mast mounted in a mahogany tabernacle on the fore deck against the fwd face of the coach-roof carries an all round white steaming light.
Galvanised pulpit.
Coach-roof with solid, varnished mahogany coamings, 2 bronze port holes each side.
Sheathed ply roof, painted cream, renewed in 2009.
Fore hatch on bronze hinges in the middle of the roof, varnished grab rails each side.
Adequate side deck width to safely move forward from the cock-pit to the fore deck with the aid of the grab rails.
Varnished mahogany faced marine ply bulkhead separates the cock-pit from the cabin.
Traditional teak spoked wheel on the port side bulkhead.
Doorway to the cabin to stbd with a sliding door.
Engine switches and dials on a box between.
Morse single lever engine controls on the cock-pit coamings to the pilot’s left hand.
Seat across the back of the cock-pit with blue fabric covered cushion, lift off lid to access the lazarette stowage under the aft deck.
Box seat to stbd by the cabin door.
Engine under a varnished mahogany ply box in the middle against the bulkhead removes to give all round access to the engine. Cushion on the box for additional sea-going comfort.
Painted ply cock-pit sole boards in lift-up sections.
Stuart Turner Sole single cylinder 9hp diesel almost certainly the original engine installed in 1978. Flexibly mounted on long oak engine beds with flexi coupling on conventional shaft drive to 3-blade bronze prop.
Raw water cooled, Filter on the bronze intake sea-cock.
12v electric start.
12v belt-driven alternator.
Water-cooled exhaust, new primary section of the exit manifold pipe.
Approx 5 gall fuel tank under the aft deck with a filler in the deck.
Easy access fuel filter by the engine.
A good installation on flexible mounts and heavy beds under a sound-proofed engine box result in a comfortable 5 knts with minimal noise and vibration and very economical fuel consumption.
The cabin has 2 V-berths fitted with nice quality, white-piped, blue vinyl covers.
Insert between the berths adds to comfort for 2.
12v cabin light.
Galley shelf in the after port corner.
Cooker shelf in the after stbd corner by the door, fire-proof lined.
Comfortable sitting head-room, fore hatch in the deck above gives ample ventilation.
White painted deckhead with varnished deck beams.
White painted coamings and exposed ship’s sides.
Varnished mahogany ply joinery.
Varnished ply baffle forwards confines the anchor chain.
Manual bilge pump. 12v battery
12v all-round white nav light on the mast. Ensign staff and ensign.
Approx 30’ chain and anchor. Cock-pit cover.
Masthead white light Port and stbd nav lights.
Wooden ships comments on this Amethyst Bawley gaff cutter
Gaff cutter built by Amethyst Marine, Dorset in 1997, based on the lines of an 1890’s Thames Bawley. These were shrimp fishing boats, mainly based out of Old Leigh, well known for cooking their catch in large copper pots onboard while sailing back to port, so the shrimps could be loaded onto the train and sent to London as soon as they were landed.
This little yacht was built as a prototype with the aim of going into production. Unfortunately the plans changed so this remains the only one to have been built. The original sale price was advertised at £45,000+VAT
Strip plank cedar hull, with 2 diagonal layers of mahogany laminated to the cedar below the waterline, 2 layers of mahogany laid fore and aft on the top sides. Total hull thickness of 7/8”. Finished in an epoxy coating and varnish.
Oak stem, mahogany keel and deadwoods in mahogany.
Painted transom, reinforced to 1 ¼”.
Transom hung rudder on galvanised hangings with stainless steel pin.
1 tonne long external lead ballast keel with 6 x 1” bolts through the laminated floors.
The epoxy and strip plank construction negates the need for conventional framing, however 2” laminated floors tie the hull together across the centre-line and add strength for taking the ground.
Laid teak deck on ¾” plywood sub deck. Deck beams constructed from laminated mahogany. 4” toe rail all round provides good security without being too bulky.
Large coachroof extends aft from the mast. Painted coamings with 3 bronze portholes each side. Cambered coachroof top in plywood over aaaa t&g sub deck.Handrails either side.
Large cockpit with bench seats either side and lockers under. Cleats on the sidedecks for staysail and jib sheets. Mainsheet horse on aft deck with wooden tiller under.
Large foredeck gives plenty of space to work the halyard falls at the base of the mast. Wooden hatch gives access to forepeak. A pair of sampson posts sat either side of the king plank for securing mooring warps. Galvanised stem head fitting incorporating anchor chain roller on port side and gammon iron above to hold the 13’ douglas fir retractable bowsprit. Bobstay chain on 3:1 block and tackle.
Gaff cutter rig with typical Bawley loose footed main on a 26’ douglas fir pole mast.
Mast is deck stepped in a galvanised steel tabernacle.
High peaked gaff yard with leathered saddle.
Varnished bowsprit between a pair of Sampson posts and passing through a galvanised gammon iron over the stem, the heel located in a fitting on the deck secured with a pin so reasonably easily removeable.
Standing rigging is 12mm galvanised wire, parcelled and served in the traditional way.
Dead eyes and lanyards for tensioning the standing rigging to external galvanised steel chain plates.
Running backstays on block and tackles, made up to cleats that are easily reached from the cockpit.
Bronze bar main sheet horse on the aft deck.
Bronze cleats
Sails, rig and canvas.
All sails by James Lawrence Sailmakers, Brightlingsea, Essex.
Main 235sq’
Jib 114sq’
Stays’l 57sq’
Spinnaker
Top sail on yard.
All running rigging & blocks
Pair of bronze sheet winches plus handles
Engine
Lombardini 17hp LDW602M 2 cylinder diesel engine with Technodrive 40 reversing gear with very low hours to fixed 3 blade centre-line bronze propeller gives 6 knots
Rigid plastic fuel tank in the port cock-pit locker. Approx 50 galls.
Accommodation comprises a main saloon with a U-shaped settee to port around a mahogany table. This table drops into the gap to create a 6’6” double berth.
Storage and tanks under.
5‘11” headroom in the main saloon.
To starboard is a large hanging locker against the aft bulkhead. Forward of this is the galley with a recessed sink, Flavel 2 burner gas cooker with oven and grill. Work surface fwd of this with fridge under. Deep storage lockers behind. T&G finished pine bulkhead to forward area.
Pressurised water supply from 5 gal rigid plastic water tank. Sink drains overboard.
Water filter.
Centre folding hinged door slightly offset to starboard. Door folds to become the heads door. Heads to port with Jabsco sea toilet. Storage locker behind. Large hanging locker to port with shelves for bosuns stores.
A third bulkhead separates off the generous forepeak cabin. V-berths with large storage areas under. Foam cushions. Small hatch into anchor locker.
Built-in buoyancy compartment under the forward end of the berth provides collision security to the fore foot.
This little boat was lightly used for a couple of seasons on the Hamble after her launch before bought by the present owners.
She has been laid up ashore under a tent in Worcestershire for 4 years due to the owner’s health issues and is now ready for a thorough refit prior to recommissioning.
See separate report on current condition.
This is a fine little yacht of a traditional design built using modern construction techniques and materials. A seaworthy vessel with surprising volume, enough space and comforts to allow a couple to cruise the Channel and coastal waters in comfort.
Sadly the owners are not going to recommission the yacht and she has to go, hence the very reasonable price.
Navigation
Compass
Nasa Log
Depth sounder
VHF radio
Clock
Barometer
Port & Starboard lights in red and green light boxes secured in the rigging in the traditional way.
Built by Everson of Woodbridge in 1937 as a sailing boat fishing for winkles and oysters, known as a Winkle Brig.
This local design from the backwaters of the Essex coast evolved to be immensely capable in her home waters. This one had a reputation for being quite a fast boat, doing well in the annual working boat races of the time.
There is a delightful book on the extensive travels of a winkle brig and her owners – A Winkle Brig Tale.
Alice still has her original builder’s plate on the transom.
Clinker planked on an oak back-bone with steam bent oak timbers, all copper fastened.
Iron centre-plate.
Many of the fittings replaced in bronze – fairleads, cleats etc.
An engine is believed to have been installed in the 1950’s. She now has a Petter single cylinder 6hp air cooled diesel with water cooled exhaust. Starter motor rebuilt 2 years ago.
12v battery.
Solar panel
Gaff cutter rig. Varnished pole mast stepped on the keel forward of the engine.
The loose footed mainsail with one line of reefing points and a long gaff gives a powerful sail with a low centre of effort.
A new 2010 topsail adds to the drive.
Staysail and Jib.
All sails in red terylene and in excellent condition.
Hempex cordage looks very authentic.
All blocks beautifully varnished.
Anchor chain and warp.
Full mast up/mast down cover
Boom cover
Boom crutch
12v bilge pump on a float switch
Stripped to bare wood and revarnished 2010.
New sole boards in top grade marine ply with non-slip paint
Wooden ships comments on this McNulty sailing dinghy
in need of a new home. Fundamentally this a sound boat, she was put outside, filled with water and hardly leaked a drop. In need of paint and varnish.
Comes with a road trailer and piggy back launching trolley, plus some spars and a mainsail that will make a decent little lug rig once it has been finished.
Wooden ships comments on this Haven 12 ½ centre-board version gaff sloop
A brand new boat, never been in the water.
The Herreshoff 12 ½ designed by the great Nat Herreshoff in 1914 when he was already 66 years old has become possibly his most enduring design despite 6 Americas Cup winners and so many fabulous big yachts with hundreds of them built in the USA and round the world
American designer Joel White described the Herreshoff 12 ½ as “ probably the best small boat ever designed” and went on to design a centre-board version of the great man’s 12 ½ which he called the Haven 12 ½, Design No 75.
Joel White’s centreboard Haven 12 ½ version is shallower in the bilge than the original with 3” more in the beam to maintain displacement. Rig, hull shape above wl, performance and everything else remain the same as the Herreshoff 12 ½
Built in Wales by professional wooden boat builder for the present owner, finished 2011.
Construction.
The hull was built upside down on moulds, one mould per frame position with multiple stringers.
Steam oak timbers fitted first within the stringers. The stringers removed as the planking progresses, planked from keel up and gunnel down to meet at the turn of the bilge.
The hull skin is 4mm cedar with 2 skins of mahogany over, laid diagonally, using epoxy glue and screw fastened and glued to the steamed oak timbers.
The hull exterior was epoxy resin sealed and painted with best quality yacht paints to produce and perfectly fair surface.
The gunnel, coamings and seats are all mahogany finished in varnish.
The ballast keel is approx 600lbs lead, cast on site and secured with stainless steel bolts.
The centre board is epoxy coated ply armed with lead insert for negative buoyancy.
Removeable cock-pit sole boards in pine.
Varnished mahogany transom.
Rig
Gaff sloop rig on varnished spruce mast stepped on the keel with bronze strap to secure it to the coamings.
Slab reef boom sheets to the transom with the tail run inboard to the centre-board case.
Boomed jib.
Sails by North Sails Rhode Island USA.
Mainsail with single reef. 110 sq’
Staysail 31sq’
Genoa 60sq’
All deck and rig fittings in polished bronze from Bristol Bronze, USA, a standard kit for the Haven 12 ½
Brand new single axle 1 ton braked road trailer.
This is a very nice quality, brand new boat, completely ready to sail.
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.
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.
45’ Laurent Giles cutter built in India in 1949. Double diagonal teak planking. Unmistakably Laurent Giles, she is just a big Channel Class. Proven ocean cruising boat, fast and capable. Offered for sale at only £24,000 due to the owners personal circumstances. woodenships.co.uk/sailing-yacht/45-laurent-giles-bermudan-cutter/... See MoreSee Less
After posting some teaser photos of Nell a little while ago, we have now formally put this fine yacht on the market. Nell is a G.L. Watson gaff cutter built on the Clyde in 1887 and completely rebuilt in Normandy, France between 2009 and 2017. This yacht is a totally unique piece of maritime history and is presented in superb condition. Her interior is her most remarkable feature and was designed by her first owner Robert Cowan Robertson. He was an artist based in Glasgow and his interior design was influenced by the fashions of the time with raised and fielded oak panelling, ionic pillasters and most notably stained glass sliding windows covering the portholes. The interior has been restored sympathetically and is largely original apart from some very small areas where damaged joinery needed replacing. The result is magnificent and sets this yacht apart as a unique piece of history. Full details and many photos available on our web site with the following link:woodenships.co.uk/sailing-yacht/g-l-watson-gaff-cutter/#classicboat #classicboatforsale #yachtforsale ... See MoreSee Less
