Category: Techniques

A Spartina on the English East coast

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Watch this beautiful Phil Bolger-designed Spartina with its convenient balanced boomed foresail sailing on an East coast river, captured here by the excellent Dylan Winter.

His collection of YouTube videos as he sails anti-clockwise around the UK is well worth watching for the boats, for the sailing and for his entertaining and trenchant commentary, with which I largely agree – although you may not. Take a look and see what you think!

The Spartina is a powerful example of the range of Bolger’s work. It’s a serious mistake to think that he only drew utilitarian sailing and motoring boxes: the man had a real designer’s eye, and used it in drawing up many of his output of many hundreds of designs. I’ve been collecting his books for years, but his published material is available to all in the UK via the national library system in the UK. It’s interesting, illuminating stuff that more people should know about.

There are very few Bolger boats in British waters, which makes this Spartina a particularly striking find.

Dylan was very taken with this boat, and its foresail in particular.

There’s a lot to be said for a foresail like this on a small boat where there’s not much danger of anyone being hurt by the boom. On a boat with a real foredeck on which someone might have to stand, however, it could be a different story.

Of course, I’m not remotely influenced by the massive compliment in the information that goes with this video!

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Ness yole Aluna Ivy at Portsoy

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Ness Yole Aluna Ivy 1

Ness Yole Aluna Ivy 2

Ness yole Iluna Ivy

Intheboatshed.net reader John Lamb has kindly given me permission to put up these photos of the wonderful Ness yole Aluna Ivy, which appeared at the 2008 Scottish Traditional Boat Festival at Portsoy. See the programme for the festival here and take a look also at John’s excellent galleries of Scottish traditional boats.

The Scandinavian influence in Aluna Ivy is unmistakeable: notice the lack of ribbing, the high ends and the almost casual way she’s framed with partial frames here and there. She could almost be an architectural find – but she was built in 1993.

There is a Flickr photo set of one of another of these striking boats being built here.

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Tiphys on canoeing

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Tiphys frontispiece

‘One day paddling among the lilies perhaps in a stream too narrow for oars; on another spreading white sails to the sea breeze, and safely contending with the wave; now carried over obstacles, now housed in boat-house or shed, in a room of the inn, or in fact anywhere that there is room to swing the traditional cat; and again at anchor in the tide or hauled up on beach or grass, she is herself the nightly home of her crew.’

Practical Canoeing is an entertaining and thoughtful little book, and it’s great that it is available online, thanks to Craig O’Donnell.

Tiphys’ advice on dress is particularly good:

‘The dress worn afloat will naturally depend on the locality, and the nature of the work to be expected. On the Thames, etc., an ordinary boating jacket, “sweater,” and scarf, with flannel trousers or knickerbockers and a cap or straw hat, according to wind and weather will be the most appropriate, and is perhaps the most comfortable dress possible.

‘Knickerbockers are better than trousers, both on board and for wading; they should be double-seated and made without buckles, an elastic cord half-way round being used at the knee instead.

‘At sea, this dress would be conspicuous, because unusual, and ordinary yachting costume is more appropriate. If the canoeist is a “seaman” it is rather an advantage that his dress should declare the fact. Suppose, for example, one is asking for any information from local pilots or fishermen, if they take one for a “landsman” they will probably attempt to translate their remarks into “shore” language, at the total sacrifice of intelligibility. Again, in a harbour, if you have to cross the decks of any vessel to reach your craft, your appearance will excite surprise if in landsman’s attire; while, as a sailor, no one thinks anything of it.

‘The “landsman’s” dress leads to one’s receiving all sorts of unnecessary offers of assistance; one is warned and cautioned! against this and that till one is almost frightened; and one is regarded by extortionate “boatmen” as a prey specially delivered into their teeth.’

Also:

‘A duplicate working suit, with the exception perhaps of the coat, should be carried, also a shore suit carefully packed by itself in a bag or large handkerchief. If made of blue cloth or serge, it may be made to act two parts, when topped by a yachting cap it ‘has a sufficiently nautical appearance, while under an ordinary hat it does for going “inland.”‘

Speaking of canoeing, I’m reminded that I’ve been enjoying boat designer Michael Storer’s weblog about his current visit to the USA, which has included some boating through the fabulous scenery of the Colarado River. Take a look – you won’t regret it.

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