Category: Traditional clinker

Clinker plans and boatbuilding

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.

Water Craft magazine preview – and subscribe through PayPal now!

Water Craft is a great little magazine and, after talking with folks who edit it, I’ve decided to publish previews’s of each issue. Hopefully it will remind people to nip down to their newsagents – or, better still, to buy a subscription for themselves or a loved one.

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The March/April issue of Water Craft. As usual, click on the thumbnail for a bigger photo

The bi-monthly Water Craft is a great magazine and, after talking with folks who edit it, I’ve decided to publish previews of each issue. Hopefully they will remind people to nip down to their newsagents – or, better still, to buy a subscription for themselves or a loved one.

Editor Pete Greenfield reports that ‘small is beautiful’ has emerged as the dominant theme of Water Craft number 74, which is due out on the 26th February.

It’ll include a reprint of an article by Moray MacPhail first published 14 years ago, which now seems more relevant than ever, particularly in the light of the evidence of the WBTA Boat Buying Survey also included in the issue.

Also,there’s a piece from canoe builder John Floutier describing a sailing canoe cruise in company in the Western Isles. Also Kathy Mansfield impressed by the 14ft GRP Devon Yawl, and Jo Moran down in Cornwall sails the similar-sized and equally gutsy GRP Bristol Jolly Boat.

Smallest of them all in this issue, however, is Chris Perkins’ latest home boatbuilding project, the 10ft Stickleback canoe designed by Iain Oughtred.

Look out also for Dick Phillips sailing Secret, a 20ft Edwardian-style ‘gentleman’s cruising yacht’ you can build from a pre-cut plywood kit, and the beautiful 20ft Laurent Giles Sandpiper named Surprise, built by Tom Naismith in his garage.

The Grand Designs series features Nigel Irens’ 15-knot electric speedboat, which made her debut at the London Boat Show and Australian designer Michael Storer introduces his Radical Raid Boat, which will make her debut on the Water Craft stand at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show.

Subscribe to Water Craft now using the button below – with the pound so cheap now, this must be a real bargain for many of our international readers!


Water Craft subscriptions




Check this website to find a newsagent in the UK: http://availability.mmcltd.co.uk

Kingston Rowing Club, 1902

The filmk shows a number of coxed fours and a single or two, one of which capsizes, and what I take to be a working boat. But what’s the source of power here?

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Here’s another YouTube presentation of some footage made public by the British Film Institute. The film shows a number of coxed fours and a single or two, one of which capsizes, and what I take to be a working boat. But what’s the source of power here – is it a steamer, or is she just drifting with the tide? There’s steam or smoke or both coming out of a small chimney, but I’m unable to decide what’s happening here. Answers via the comment link below please!

Follow the link for more boats from the Humber Estuary.