Month: July 2009

Who can save this Johnson & Jago 2 1/2 tonner now lying at Maldon?

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db2

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Johnson & Jago-built 2 1/2 tonner Dzorbha

Marinestore at Maldon sent an email to me (and probably many others) appealing for someone to take on this 1936 Johnson & Jago-built 2 1/2 tonner.

More details and photos can be found at the Marinestore weblog, but the basic information is as follows:

Dzorbha has been abandoned by her owner. Her planking and ribs are pitch pine on oak in good condition. She has no sails and her mast is long past its sell by date. Overall, she will need a lot of work by a true enthusiast. She can be viewed at Shipways Yard, North St, Maldon CM9 5HQ, in the back row against the fence.

Marinestore says it will accept any reasonable offer (the owner she goes to is more important than what we get). There will be a lifting charge to load her on to transport if required and we will allow a week for the new owner to get things organised. Please email any queries that you may have to chandlery@marinestore.co.uk – all offers by email must be in by 12pm on the 31st July.

I’ve emailed to ask for more photos and some history, but haven’t had a reply – but maybe you’ll be more lucky!

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NMMC exhibition commemorates the last commercial windjammer Cape Horn voyage

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The crew at the wheel of Passat - Holger Thesleff

The crew at the wheel of windjammer Passat (photograph by third officer Holger Thesleff supplied by NMMC)

King Neptune and his court onboard Passat - Holger Thesleff Passat sailing from Falmouth - July 1939

King Neptune and his court onboard Passat (photo taken by Holger Thesleff and supplied by the NMMC); Passat sailing from Falmouth in July 1939

National Maritime Museum Cornwall curators are celebrating the final days of commercial square-rigged sailing ships with an autumn exhibition timed to mark 60 years since the last windjammer cargo ship taking part in a ‘grain race’ rounded Cape Horn.

In the early 20th century the British public gambled on which ship carrying grain from Australia to Europe would make the fastest trip of the year in what were called the grain races. At the time, this was one of only a few trade routes that remained viable for the world’s big sailing vessels.

The exhibition, which is to appear at 12 museums across the globe during 2009, includes a range of original objects from the ships, stunning photographs and a detailed account of that final voyage. The NMMC’s exhibition will also include the photographs by Geoffrey Robertshaw, who recorded life on board the windjammers during journeys between Australia and Falmouth. His personal logbooks, photographs and personal possessions have kindly been lent to the NMMC by Elvin Carter of Devoran.

Farewell to Sails opens on 1 September and runs until the 26 November at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth.

On Monday 7 September Elvin Carter will be giving an illustrated lecture at the Maritime Museum about Geoffrey Robertshaw’s remarkable life aboard the windjammers.

PS… If you haven’t read it, Eric Newby’s book The Last Great Grain Race describes one of these voyages superbly.

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Paul McGuire’s models of the Julie skiff

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Model compare port

Model bow Model stern

It’s always nice to hear of people’s interest in building one of my designs, and very pleasing too when they go so far as to make a model. So I’m delighted Paul McGuire has made two of the Julie skiff rowing skiff – the first is the standard A4/letter paper size you’d get from a normal domestic printer, and the second he made by blowing the original download up so he could use a bigger piece of card.

Thanks Paul! Has anyone else made either a model or the real thing? We’d very much like to hear from you at gmatkin@gmail.com.

For more on the Julie skiff:
Sketches for a sailing 15ft Julie skiff

Complete free plans package for the intheboatshed.net flat-bottomed 15ft 6in skiff
Not forgetting the smaller versions:
Free plans for the intheboatshed.net Ella skiff now online and available to download
Sunny skiff 14ft plywood flattie plans

These boats are designed to be built using the stitch and glue technique – if you haven’t done this before you might be interested in my book Ultrasimple Boat Building: 17 Plywood Boats Anyone Can Build or one of the other books on this topic available from Amazon.