Category: Boating, boats, ships and the sea

Do you know the story of the ‘Blackwater sloop’ Gadfly II?

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Gadfly II awaiting restoration by Simon Papendick

Clacton-based wooden boat builder and restorer Simon Papendick is looking for information about a 1939 gaff sloop that he’s currently restoring. Can anyone shed any light on  this boat please? If you can, please comment below, or write either to me at gmatkin@gmail.com or to Simon at info@jstartuition-boatservices.co.uk.

The boat in question is named Gadfly II, and apparently the previous owner said she was a Blackwater gaff sloop and seems to have many of the same features – however, having contacted a number of sources Simon now believes she was built in Kent rather than the Blackwater, which is across the Thames Estuary, in Essex.

‘I have now got the job of restoring her to her former glory and hope to have her sailing this year. From what I have been able to find out about it, building on her began in 1939, stopped for the duration of World War II, and she was finally finished in 1945-46 and launched in 1946 for a local man in Kent.

‘The name Gadfly II appears on the list of vessels owned by members belonging to the Old Gaffer Association until the 1970s, but then drops off.’

Follow this link for gaff-rigged boats at intheboatshed.net.

Simon Papendick, who runs J-Star Tuition & Boat Services, can be reached at 07799401650 and info@jstartuition-boatservices.co.uk.

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Is anyone building the stitch-and-glue intheboatshed.net skiff?

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The intheboatshed.net post offering free plans for the Julie skiff has been the most popular individual element of this weblog for some time. It’s been viewed by thousands of people and, naturally, we’re delighted at all the attention it has been receiving.

But although we’ve heard that various people have planned to build it, we’re not aware of anyone starting a Julie skiff project, let along finishing one. Is there anyone out there building this boat? If you are building this spring, please let us know at gmatkin@gmail.com – We’d be especially grateful for reports of how the building goes, and for photos of both the building and the completed boat that we can post here at intheboatshed.net.

I’d also be very pleased to receive any photos of models anyone may have built. Both Ben Crawshaw (thanks Ben!) and the designer have had a go, and in any case it’s always good to build a model before building a boat like this.

In case you’re wondering, I do still intend to draw a couple of traditionally-inspired sailing rigs, a more traditional chine-log version, and also a 17ft version for two rowers. It’s just that I’ve been very busy organising both a small folk festival and a wedding. In addition the usual ups and downs of work, music making and family life, they’re more than enough to keep a chap busy, I can tell you!

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Artist seeks help – she needs rusty ships in dried-out-looking seas

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Ship in the dried out Aral Sea, photographed by Staeker, and
taken from the Wikimedia

We’ve just received this intriguing and unusual request from art student Mary Wharmby. Can anyone out there help her? I’m pretty sure that boat users who visit remote spots are most likely to be able to help.

‘Hi Gavin,

I’ve just found your blog and am really hoping you or one of your readers can help me out. I’m a grad student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I’m working on my MFA thesis, an interactive ecological mystery game inspired by the Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia. The project is about looming water shortages with the prototype about the plight of fishermen when they lose their fisheries. I am trying to digitally recreate a desert seabed with medium-to-large old rusty ships that players will navigate around and eventually board. I need to photograph from multiple angles and am having trouble finding appropriate ships. I found your site by searching google for ship graveyards and turned up the post about the Staten Island site (which could possibly work for me). I am looking for a place or places where I can find ships like these:

http://keralaarticles.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/aral-sea.jpg

http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/images/AralSeaDriedup.jpg

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/courses/geog340/Photos&Illus/Aral1.jpg

The ships don’t have to match exactly by any means, just be in the same ballpark (old, rusty, medium-sized). A huge amount of touchup can be done digitally, but I need something to start with.

Because of costs, ideally I am looking for a place on the West Coast but if necessary I am willing to travel where ever I need to go. Please let me know if you know of a ship or location which may work me.

Many for reading this and for any help you can offer!

Mary W
mwharmby@inch.com’

I’m sure she means the West Coast of the USA and I’m sure too that she will obtain permission from the photographers who supply the images and credit them properly.

So – if you know any ships that appear to be lost on land anywhere, can you help Mary?