Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
Will Stirling has written to share a very unusual opportunity…
Modern-built Victorian racing yacht Integritysails from Iceland to East Greenland in the summer of 2019. The aim of the voyage is to practise good seamanship and mountaineering.
There are two berths available for a period of approximately two weeks each. The usual conditions of engagement apply; nothing is beyond the call of duty.
‘We have sailed Integrity from Plymouth to the North of Iceland.The videos show her:
on the W Coast of Ireland under full sail; topmast up, jack yard topsail, bowsprit at no. 1 fid position, no. 1 jib and flying jib.
rounding the most northerly point of Iceland under square sail. Topmast and bowsprit housed. She travels at a slower speed under square sail but it is comfortable and safe when it is downwind and windy.
Most interestingly, when we doubled this cape and had to harden up in order to meet the head marks for the ancient Viking anchorage of Leirhofn, we braced the square sail round, set the no. 2 jib and she sailed to windward.
When we decided that we would have to beat into the anchorage, we dipped the square sail onto the deck, left the no. 2 jib up and set the staysail and double reefed main (which gives an indication of the wind strength and how comfortably the square sail sets).’
Stirling and Son are busy as usual this summer with varied work both in and around Plymouth and further afield.
Stirlings must be counted one of the most interesting boat building and design operations around. Down at their covered slipway at Plymouth, the pilot cutter Cornubia is having her hatches re-varnished and a replica Viking longboat is being repaired.
Further afield, in May a small team went to Germany to work on the 60ft teak built Mylne yacht Mingary. This is a link to a video of work on the yacht. See a video of the work on that job below:
In June Sara and Will visited Glasgow for the Clyde Classic Design Symposium and delivered a talk about the process of designing the new Victorian racing cutterIntegrity at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club.
The plans for the 14ft sailing dinghy that Sara and Will sailed around the Eddystone Lighthouse and then across the Channel are now available. The plans comprise lines, sail plan, construction plan and technical detail with templates of the backbone, knees, rudder and moulds.
The study plans show the level of detail and are accompanied by a materials list and a scantlings list. The plans are not available through the website (which is due to be updated). For information on the plans please email Will at info@stirlingandson.co.uk.
In Spain Martin Scannall has built and launched a 9ft dinghy built to Stirling and Son plans. She is to be the tender to the cutter Sauntress.
At the other end of the scale Will is working in conjunction with naval architect Theo Rye on the design of a 140 ton topsail schooner of circa 1830 that is to be built in the far East.
Stirling and Son undertake traditional boat building and wooden boat repair and have an office at Tavistock, tel 01822 614259, and a covered yard at Devonport, tel 07727 233346.
