Category: Small boats

Classic Motor Boat Association to rally next week at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

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Classic Motor Boat Association to rally at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Classic Motor Boat Association rally, with the distinctive National Maritime Museum building in the background

The Classic Motor Boat Association is having a big meeting at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. they didn’t get around to telling us, but thankfully the NMM did! Here’s their press release:

From Thursday 20 September, the Classic Motor Boat Association (CMBA) will be holding another one of their famous rallies at National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Established in 1998, the CMBA brings together enthusiasts of classic motor boats from across the UK. The majority of craft belonging to members of this fast growing club come from the 1950s and early 1960s and are often restored beyond their original showroom condition.

The boats will be moored on the Museum’s pontoon from Thursday 20 September, however, the owners will be cruising on and off around the bay so you might not be able to catch them until they return from their adventures. To get up really close and personal with the boats, visit the Museum’s pontoon from 10-2.30pm on Saturday 22 September and meet the owners of these rare craft who are all willing to share their love of these classic boats with you. At 2.30pm the boats will leave the Museum and set sail for the slalom competition held between County Wharf and Queens Jetty offering everyone a wonderful opportunity to see the powerboats of yesterday performing today.

Among the leading boats expected to attend is Chris Craft, an early 50s traditional wooden runabout, Poncelet a 5m moulded wooden speedboat from the late 50s and a Stapley Ski Race boat that has a long pedigree of towing championship water skiers. A number of Brooms and Albatrosses, similar to the model on display in the Museum, will also be attending the rally.

Tim Parr, event organiser says: “This event has grown year on year and we’re delighted to be back in Falmouth waters once again. We’d welcome the public coming to say hello, meet us and the boats and see, through the exhibits at the Museum, how boating has changed over the years.”

For more information please contact Tim Parr 07971 522525 or see the CMBA site at http://www.cmba-uk.com/

Goodies from Amazon on this topic are:

•Classic Motor Boats

•Gar Wood Boats

•Old Outboard Service Manual

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From the Thames to the Solent by Una boat, an account from 1868

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From the Thames to the Solent by Una boat, by JB Dashwood 1868

Una, from Dixon Kemp’s legendary Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing

Steve Taylor was kind enough to alert me to this one – a readable pdf of a charming little book of 1868 about a canal and sea trip by an example of the Una boat, which was then fashionable in the UK.

http://www.weyandarun.co.uk/thames.pdf

Dixon Kemp describes the Una boat here: http://www.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/kemp/dictUV.html

The scans of the engravings including the author JB Dashwood’s Una boat are unclear, so I’ve included a scan of the original Una boat from Dixon Kemp’s Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing. The original Una boat was an imported North American cat boat of the era, with a centreboard, characteristic widish beam and a single gaff-rigged mast and sail. Cat boats were originally working fishing boats, but they have long been adopted for pleasure boating, and so have evolved in many ways in the intervening 140 years. They are still an interesting type, particularly for sheltered coastal cruising.

In searching the web for references, I found this online account of sailing small boats of the 19th century: http://www.thamessailingclub.co.uk/…/Our_History.pdf

There were just a few copies of Dixon Kemp’s Manual available at ABE when I looked, and several copies of his other classics also. Check now:
AbeBooks

Follow the duck – plans and boatbuilders’ stories at Duckworks magazine

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Duckworks - the best site for home-built boating enthusiasts

Duckworks Magazine’s monthly bulletin linked to an intheboatshed.net reference to Joe Dobler yesterday, and I’d like to repay the compliment.

For years now, Duckworks Magazine editor Chuck Leinweber has maintained a steady stream of fascinating posts about boats and boating, mainly concerning small boats and in particular home-built boats and occasionally restored older craft.

What makes it stand out is that it’s a real miscellany, and that it’s made up of so many obviously genuine stories about real people. Some of the material is inspirational stuff about building and cruising small boats, but you can also find tutorials on how to perform particular tasks and dire warnings about how to avoid repeating someone’s mistake.

If you’re inspired to get into building small boats, I think it’s essential reading – as is Duckworksmagazine’s sister site Duckworks Boat Builders Supply. A good place to start might be the Duckworks BBS plans page.

Duckworksmagazine: http://www.duckworksmagazine.com

Duckworks Boat Builder’s Supply http://www.duckworksbbs.com/