Month: February 2009

Praams for hire at Dunorlan Park boating pond, Tunbridge Wells

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Praam dinghies on the boating lake at Dunorlan Park

The old wooden praams at Dunorlan Park, in Tunbridge Wells may all be gone now, but here are some photos I took with my mobile phone a couple of years ago.

It’s intriguing that a collection of classic little Norwegian-style dinghies like this should end up on a pleasure boating lake in South-Eastern England, but they did a good job for several generations – not least, I suppose, because they had the capacity to carry four adults in comfort an a short hull.

I have a hazy recollection that I was told they were built in the North-East by McNulty.

The Wikipedia doesn’t say much about praams, but there is this nice photo of a praam on the Wikimedia.

PS – There’s a comment below from the gentleman who hires them out. I’m pleased to be able to say that after 40 years, these boats are still available for hire at Dunorlan Park.

More information about the Kent-built ‘Blackwater sloop’ Gadfly II

We’ve had a short message and a few more photos of Gadfly II from boatbuilder and restorer Simon Papendick.

‘Since I contacted you last on the website, I have found out more about the boat’s history and type of boat she is – or at least the design she was built to.

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Gadfly II – she’s fairly clean, but there’s still plenty of work to do!

We’ve had a short message and a few more photos of Gadfly II from boatbuilder and restorer Simon Papendick.

‘Since I contacted you last on the website, I have found out more about the boat’s history and type of boat she is – or at least the design she was built to.

‘It appears that Gadfly II was built in Kent, as was I was lead to believe was the case. However, she was built to look like a Blackwater gaff sloop called Iolanthe and has the same hull design and dimensions.

‘The only different between the two boats is that my boat has an extra 3in depth in the iron keel. I have attached a few photos of the work in progress to restore this fine old lady to her former glory.’

Iolanthe appeared in Classic Boat magazine September 2004. I should get my copy out and have a look!

For an earlier intheboatshed.net post about this boat, click here.

Simon Papendick, who runs J-Star Tuition & Boat Services, can be reached at 07799401650 and info@jstartuition-boatservices.co.uk.

Ice yachts on the Hudson

The Hudson River was known for ice yachting. The old river freezes less often these days, but the ice yacht sailers still go out on the thin ice to travel at speeds that would make most water-borne sailers blink.

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The Hudson River has been in the news across lately due to the cool-nerved heroism of a pilot who saved lives in the air and on land by successfully crash-landing a stricken airliner on its chilly surface.

In times past, however, it was also known for ice yachting. The old river freezes less often these days, but the ice yacht sailers still go out on the thin ice to travel at speeds that would make most water-borne sailers blink.

See some instructions and plans on building ice yachts from Charles H Farnham and published by Cornell University Library, this article from the New York Times and – probably best of all – these wonderful photos of old-style ice-yachting.

PS – I won’t put up a post on Saturday the 14th, as Julie and I are getting married.