Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Plans for boats, sailing yachts, motor yachts, rowing boats, sailing boats, dinghies, dories, canoes, skiffs, oars, sails – may be free or paid-for
Bay Raider
I think Swallow Boats new Bay Raider could be just that – and a serious successor to the Devon Yawl and some other boats too, perhaps, possibly even the Wayfarer.
Working together with a group of Drascombe Lugger fans, Swallow Boats has developed a new large sailing dinghy for open boat cruising. The result is very interesting: Continue reading “Bay Raider – serious competition for the Drascombe?”
Phoenix III
Ross Lillistone has built and designed some nice little boats, and one of the nicest is this little spritsail open cruiser designed to be sailed and rowed, and to use an outboard when necessary. Phoenix III was one of those designs that evolves over years, which probably means that all the little compromises that get made in designing a boat have been given even more thorough thought than usual.
The result of all this deliberation is an epoxy ply 15ft 1 1/2in by 4ft 9in beam by 6in draft dinghy that weighs 132lbs and carryies 104sqft of sail on a sloop rig with a spritsail main. The beam is narrow for rowing and with that in mind the 104sqft rig might seem a lot for a cruiser meant to be sailed off beaches and on the sea; however, because the Continue reading “Ross Lillistone’s perfect beach cruiser”
Thumbnail images from the Albert Strange Association website
Dick Wynne of the Albert Strange Association has emailed to say that the ASA has a new website.
This is a busy, active society and the site has lots of content to read and many photos of boats well worth our admiration. A few members own Albert Strange boats or works of art, but I gather the key requirement for membership is Continue reading “A new website for the Albert Strange Association”