Category: Racing sailing craft

Marcus Lewis update: Fowey River Class dinghies, a St Mawes One-Design and a wooden sailing cruiser for sale

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Fowey River Dinghy 59

Fowey River Dinghy 59 Fowey River Dinghy 59 Fowey River Dinghy 59

Fowey River 59

Fowey River Dinghy 60 Fowey River Dinghy 60

Fowey River 60

St Mawes One Design Saskia St Mawes One Design Saskia

St Mawes One Design Saskia

We’ve also received an update from Fowey boatbuilder Marcus Lewis, who is well known for building Fowey River Class dinghies.

‘Hi Gavin, hope all is well, just thought I would drop you a line with some pics to show what has been going on lately.

‘The two Fowey River Class dinghies are coming on. No. 59 has been timbered out with steamed green oak ribs and the seats and gunnwales are in, and we will soon be fitting the centreplate case. No. 60 is soon to have her mahogany sheer strake fitted (the rest of her planking is spruce), and then she will be timbered out.

‘Also arrived last week was a St Mawes One Design for a few small repairs after being damaged on her moorings in the gales. (See www.stmawesod.org.uk for more information.)

‘There are always one or two of these lovely little boats for sale. They were designed in 1923 and are raced mostly on the River Fal, in and around Falmouth and, obviously, at St Mawes!

‘I’ve also attached an advert [see below Ed]. This is an opportunity for someone to pick up a classic boat for very little – a Kings Cruiser. A friend of mine has owned this boat for quite a few years, and initially did a considerable amount of work, used her for a few years, but then laid her up, and now has to get rid of her. She probably needs quite of bit of work again now, but is worth an offer!

‘Thanks

‘Marcus’

Marcus can be reached at tel 07973 420568 and email marcus@fowey9.freeserve.co.uk

Kings Cruiser for sale

Just hours to save Standard Quay?

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Standard Quay, Faversham

Please pass this on to friends as fast as you can – there’s no time to lose!

Stop press – click here for the latest news on this development

Standard Quay in Faversham is a busy part of the old town – the boatyard there is currently busy restoring the famous old barge Cambria, for one thing. Click on the picture above to learn more.

But now it’s said that Swale Borough Council is considering allowing the developers in – and they want to turn it into a restaurant area and housing, and that there’s a big meeting about the issue this Thursday.

No doubt there’s serious money behind the project, but this sounds very much like the wrong project for the town, and for everyone who loves Faversham Creek and Standard Quay the way they are.

One of my concerns is that if they bring in developers to sponsor housing, restaurants and the rest, it won’t be long before the traditional maritime activities will be the subject of complaints about noise and general untidiness. Even traditional and historic industrial activities such as boatyards and yuppie flats rarely make happy close neighbours.

I understand the shipwrights, the shipwright apprentice scheme and the blockmaker who currently operate from the listed quayside workshops restoring traditional vessels are already planning to leave, as they believe they have no other choice. That’s a great shame, because there is  demand for the skills and facilities Standard Quay currently offers.

This website includes a trailer for a beautiful and atmospheric film about this part of Faversham Creek.

If you know the area or are concerned that this important area of the town might be lost, please contact the relevant councillors now – their contact detail are in the News section of the The Quay website above.

Standard Quay sign Standard Quay big building

Photos provided by Standard Quay film maker Richard Fleury

An airborne lifeboat on the Isle of Man

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Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat

Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat

Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat Mk 1 Airborne lifeboat

Martin Birchenough’s Mk 1 airborne lifeboat

I’ve posted about Uffa Fox’s fascinating airborne lifeboats several times now (see post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5). They had an amazing story in saving downed airmen’s lives during World War II, and after the war their lovely lines enabled them to be converted into sporty big sailing dinghies. Old Uffa could certainly draw a hull!

I’m delighted to be able to post some more photos, thanks to Martin Birchenough, who lives in the Isle of Man.

Here’s what he says:

‘My airborne lifeboat was one of four Mk1 boats that were based at Ronaldsway Airport in the Isle of Man during the Second World War.

‘It ended up in the grounds of a house at Castletown near Ronaldsway where it was damaged by cattle but was rescued by an elderly chap who patched it and then painted it with bitumen and moved it to his property in Kirk Michael where it lay for some years.

‘I had reason to visit him and saw the boat, spoke about it and he said he had been trying to find a home for it for some time but no one would take it on and I eventually took it on as a restoration project.

‘It was in pretty bad shape and after scrapping the bitumen off and repairing the holes the only way to save the hull which had become springy was to use West epoxy and clad it. I obtained plans from the RAF Museum at Hendon and had the dagger board and rudder fabricated locally and It is now solid but obviously not original.

‘I have added a fore deck and gunwales and had a rig designed by Jeckells and have made a mast. I sailed it with a bit of a jury rig prior to making the mast and it went like a scalded cat – it was so quick that it was in danger of sailing itself under water while close-hauled.

‘I am hoping to have it back in the water set up for the Peel Traditional Boat Weekend in July 2011.

‘Regards, Martin’

That’s fabulous thanks Martin. If you get some sailing photos sometime I’d love to see them please!

Gavin

PS Do check out the Uffa Fox website – there’s a terrific film clip narrated by him that includes Drumbeat cracking along in a good breeze, and even a snatch of the old boy singing.