Category: Modern boatbuilding

Modern and plywood boatbuilding and plans

SketchUp models of some of my free boat designs

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Little Breton

Flying Mouse Oarmouse

Lapstrake tender Little Breton, kids’ small sailing boat Flying Mouse (there are details for a rudder too!), and the Mouse-derived small rowing skiff Oarmouse

I’m very tickled this morning to hear from Kellan Hatch, who got in touch to deliver the news that some little boats I designed for home building a few years ago (the lapstrake tender Little Breton, the Flying Mouse and Oarmouse) have made it into Google’s SketchUp galleries. I think they’re a hoot – even if they aren’t very classic! Go to the Google 3DSketchUp gallery for more – I got these by searching on my own name, Gavin Atkin. I have to say that this is the first time following up my own name on the Internet has ever led me to unexpected nudity, but there’s a first time for everything.

The boat designs are available free from various places, including Continue reading “SketchUp models of some of my free boat designs”

Can you help save a gracious old lady?

Rania was built in 1937 by the Rampart Boat Building works in Southampton. Just before delivery in 1939, however, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, when many small British craft sailed across the Channel to rescue the British Expeditionary Force – and army of 400,000 or so.

This astonishing exercise took place in perfect millpond conditions (see the images of this event at the Rania site, and see Wikipedia for more on the fighting and evacuation). She continued to serve in the ‘Mosquito navy’ for the duration of the war.

She is now in real need of help. Rania has been dismantled and is in urgent need of repair; she has been saved by the Dunkirk Little Ship Restoration Trust but unfortunately the funds are not available – nevertheless her supporters wish to restore her to her original condition and return her to Dunkirk in 2010 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuations.

For more on Rania, and some very evocative music:
http://www.rania.co.uk

Rania in her heyday