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
Some folks might remember this Laurent Giles-designed Vertue being built at Gillingham in 1979… Anyway, now she’s for sale I can’t help thinking there’s a mighty adventure for someone in bringing her back home, whichever route was taken.
She does look quite nicely kept…
My thanks to Paul Mullings for the tip!
The teak-built Vertue named Tom Thumb has just gone back down the slipway following a five-month refit at Stirling and Son’s yard at Devonport.
The 25ft boat has a new teak deck and new interior, and has also been re-rigged. And naturally she’s looking very smart!
1950 transatlantic sailor Humphrey Barton described his Laurent Giles Vertue as ‘The most perfect small ocean going yacht that has ever been built’.
Boatbuild and writer Adrian Morgan of Viking Boats owns and sails a Vertue, and has written an affectionate and interesting piece about the design.
In this he warns that you have to be careful about talking about the Vertue, and then dares to describe the heavy displacement small cruiser as a touch narrow. Well, if a long time owner says so, he’s probably right. Still, I think few of us would pass up a chance to sail one…
Btw…Â Have you seen this?
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Tom Naismith’s Laurent Giles-designed Sandppiper Surprise
won the Water Craft Awards at the Beale Park Thames Boat
Show this year. As usual, click on the photo for a
much larger image
Finally, we have the boat that won the Water Craft Boatbuilding Awards for this year – Tom Naismith’s striking Laurent Giles-designed Sandpiper, which he has named Surprise.
Although only 20ft on deck, she’s clearly a big boat for her length, and Tom reports that she took seven years and £20,000 to build.
Sandpiper is the big sister to the smaller Sanderling – and the even smaller but much better known Jolly Boat. I think Tom deserves a prize just for completing her, but I hope she now gets some serious use, as I’m sure she makes a comfortable little ship.
By the way, I notice that there’s an 18ft version for sale at Boats & Outboards, and there’s also a picture of one of these boats on the Classic Marine site.