Small boats – Page 55 – intheboatshed.net

Damien O’Grady reports on sailing Murray Isles Aurette dinghy

Australian Damien O’Grady has sent us this photo and a short report of his experience of sailing Murray Isles’ Aurette small Auray punt design.

Auray punt fans may remember he wrote a short report of his experience of building the boat a while ago. The plans are included in my book published by International Marine, Ultrasimple Boatbuilding.

See the photos and what Damien had to say in his earlier post here.

This is what he says now he has rigged the boat as specified in Murray’s plans. I’d say it sounds just right for a dinghy of this size:

‘Hi Gavin

‘I finally made the mast and yard from what is here called white beech [it’s called hornbeam here – ed], which I soaked with Sikkens Cetol HLS. I put two canvas collars around the mast – one at the point where it passes through the foredeck, and one where the yard rubs up against it – I stitched these on using heavy duty thread, criss-crossed as you would put laces on your boots. The halyard passes through a simple “dumb sheave”, just as is suggested in your book, which I made by drilling a 12mm hole and working it with a D-section file.

‘You can see most of the arrangement in the attached photo, in which my son is hoisting the yard for the first time. The tack has a line that attaches first to the mast, and then to the little bulkhead just behind the foredeck – this serves to hold the mast in place in case you capsize. I shaped the spars just as shown in your book. I reinforced the foredeck aperture with glass tape.

‘She needs plenty of wind to really get going, but she can handle pretty much anything you throw at her. I’ve had her with that much wind that the bow is almost buried under the bow wave, and you have to shift your weight aft to compensate. Very forgiving for kids to begin sailing in. As an adult, if you capsize, it won’t be because of the wind – it’s more likely to be bad balance on your part.

‘That’s it – I’m very fond of her – my son has been seduced by the speed and glamour of the RS Feva, so now he only takes out the little Aurette to humour me, but that’s fine. I’m thinking next of making a light boom for her, to keep better sail shape.

‘Cheers!

‘Damien’

PS – Damien has sent over some additional measurment information for the rudder not included in the published plans. See them here: rudder_extras

Faversham Creek Trust’s Purifier Building premises is declared open!

Last night the Purifier Building, which is to be used by the new shipwright apprentice scheme as a training workshop and premises was declared open by the Faversham Creek Trust’s guest of honour Admiral Michael Cecil Boyce, Baron Boyce, KG, GCB, OBE, DL.

I could not hear all that he said, but I did form the impression that Admiral Boyce made an articulate and encouraging speech, and I certainly heard him declare his strong support for the Trust’s aims. Admiral Boyce is chairman of HMS Victory Preservation Company and trustee of the National Maritime Museum, and also as chairman of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution – he’s clearly as busy as he is decorated.

I also got a chance to find out about Mayhi, the unusual skimming-dish of a racing yacht that the first batch of apprentices are to work on, and to talk with Griselda Musset about Creek’s history potential for regeneration, which with the right management and support could be tremendous.

Check out the photos. The Purifier Building itself is a relic of the town’s gas works, but behind it is an area where gunpowder used to be made on a series of islands set between ditches – the reason for the ditches is that it was safer to move the gunpowder by punt rather than using iron-rimmed cartwheels that might cause a spark.

Despite this precaution, however, there was at least one large explosion that brought down one of the two towers of the neighbouring Norman parish church at Davington.

The wharves around the Purifier Building date back two hundred years – the one on which the building stands is known as Ordnance Wharf, and I gather gunpowder from this site was used against the Spanish Armada and at Waterloo.

This area of the Creek is a pool controlled by sluices and a swing bridge that was built at the time of the horse and cart and is now no longer working due to damage caused by the weight of the vehicles that cross it in the modern age.

Griselda explained all this and suggested I consider how the area could be, with the brickwork of the old wharves restored, the pool dredged and full of barges and Creek itself an important centre for traditional boats and boat building and repair. I have to say that for me it certainly made a compelling picture – and more than enough reason to give the Trust my support.

PS – Richard Fleury has put two short videos on Vimeo – one of Griff Rhys Jones visit to the Purifier Building a couple of weeks ago, and one recording the arrival of Mayhi.

Click on the thumbnails below to see larger photographs.

Mayhi

Admiral Boyce talks with boat building instructor Simon Grillet

Colin Frake’s blocks – the block maker is to move into the Purifier Building

The pool at Ordnance Wharf

The Purifier Building

200-year old wharves

The site of the old gunpowder works

Old wharves and the Purifier Building

Old wharves

Mayhi particulars

Mayhi

Mayhi sailplan and general arrangement – note that this is foreshortened due to the angle from which it was shot

Mayhi lines – note that this is foreshortened due to the angle from which it was shot

Mayhi

The Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival

Boatbuilder Tiernan Roe of Ballydehob in the South-Western corner of Eire sent in these photos of the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival, which took place last weekend.

Here’s what he says about the photos:

‘The grey rowing boat is a gandelow from the Shannon estuary region of Ireland, and was built by the AK Ilen Boat Building School.

‘The pretty little lug-sailed boat is a François Vivier-designed Ilur built by Tim Cooke at the fishing village of Union Hall. Well worth having a look at his tumblr he’s really putting in a lot of work into a very nice boat. [And also some more photos of the Baltimore Festival – ed.]

‘I had one of the boats I built for the Game of Thrones TV series on display, which was a bit of fun. The two boats are back in the workshop for a bit of work before they are sent off to exotic locations for filming, now if I can only swing that I have to go too. Ideas on a postcard please… The photos of the Game of Thrones boat were taken by Helen Sloan/HBO.

‘I’m also building another two faerings at the moment and the micro cruiser I have been working on for the last few months is nearing completion – or at least the list of things to do is getting longer so I guess it must be close to a launch.

‘Hope all is well with you and keep up the good work with intheboatshed.

‘Tiernan’

Thanks Tiernan!

Click on the thumbnails below for larger photographs.