Tag: will stirling

Stirling and Son develops a new 9ft dinghy

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The new 9ft dinghy from Stirling and Son – the lower
photos show the materials and moulds

The Stirling and Son boatyard down at Morwelham near Tavistock must be one of the most picturesque anywhere – I enjoy the photos Will Stirling sends us for their setting almost as much as the boats.

Here’s what Will has to say about the dinghy in the photo.

‘Dear Gavin,

‘The dinghy is to go to Northumberland – but I can build another with a lead time of approximately six weeks.

‘She is 9ft long of mahogany planking with an oak sheer strake. All other timber in the boat is oak with copper fastenings.

‘The shape is a very stable one, as I’ve had had some near-capsizes getting into dinghies in the past. She has a mid-19th century shape with the bold forefoot and relatively full bow, while she is finer aft with a shapely transom.

‘After building this dinghy I have set down the shape in a full five-page A2 draught with A4 offsets, scantlings and materials list. I am to build the next dinghy from this draught and then make full size mould templates with the planking lined out and a little colour booklet with photos taken along the way. I will let you know when that is all prepared, probably in a couple of months.

‘Best wishes

‘Will Stirling’

I think that booklet might interest quite a few budding home boatbuilders, and when it’s ready I’d like to put up a post about it here Will!

See the Stirling and Son Wooden Shipbuilding and Repairs website at http://www.stirlingandson.co.uk or contact the company at 01822 614 259.

PS – If like me you’ve been admiring Will’s trestles, see some handy trestle plans here. Ok, they aren’t Will’s plans but they look quite similar.


Stirling & Son build a yawl for HMS Victory

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A yawl for HMS Victory, build by Stirling & Son. Even the supports

Boatbuilder Will Stirling of Morewellham has sent us these photo of the striking yawl his company Stirling & Son has just built for HMS Victory. She was built to a Ministry of Defence contract using drawings dating back to 1793 supplied by the National Maritime Museum, and a specification from David Steel’s book Naval Architecture published in 1805. So it should be authentic!

One question I feel is particularly relevant, however: how did men manage when they had to wear hats like that?

Will is perhaps best known in the boating world for having designed and built the 18th century style lugger Alert, which is now back from a trip to Iceland and is for sale: read about her here.

The news on Alert is that Will has dropped the price a little to £67,500, as he’d like to get on with a new project – if you’re in the market for a magnificent boat like this, it would be well worth taking a look also at the Stirling & Son website for more information. Alert is an outstanding piece of floating history, and the kind of boat that would be noticed and admired anywhere.

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An update from Will Stirling of Cutters & Luggers down in Cornwall

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The Duke of Bedford’s boathouse (note the blocks in the foreground), a rebuilt
Tamar Valley salmon skiff, a skylight from the Garlandstone, and
Garlandstone, the WWII Naval pinnace and Alert, all mentioned below

We’ve also received these splendid photos and an update from Will Stirling of Revenue Cutters & Smuggling Luggers. I’m sure many readers will remember his knockout 18th-century inspired design and build project Alert last year (see previous posts) and will be interested to know what he’s been up to in the first half of 2008. In fact, he seems to have a tremendous lot of work going on!

Connoisseurs will notice some good sheds here too…

‘Dear Gavin,

‘I’m spending a lot of time banging in nails!

‘We have a 150 ton West Country trading ketch Garlandstone on the slipway and are beginning a programme of further restoration after she suffered a period of neglect.

‘The upper works of a 40’ Admiralty pinnace built in Scapa Flow, Orkney during World War II are in the process of being entirely replaced. This has included redefining her sheer as it had been pushed out of shape after many years landing on the beach.

‘We have just completed a completed rebuild from a new backbone up of a Tamar Valley Salmon Skiff. An original member left in the boat has the rope marks where the net led over the side.

‘We have also restored the Duke of Bedford’s boathouse for the Tamar Valley Trust and extensively repaired a neglected cornish punt.

‘We have an MOD contract from the flagship of the Royal Navy, HMS Victory, to build a new 26ft ship’s cutter to a draught from the National Maritime Museum to an 1805 specification form D. Steele’s ‘Naval Architecture’.

‘Cornish Master Shipwright Ted Luck is now helping me and lending much valuable experience to the operation.

‘I received an MA in Maritime History from Exeter University and a distinction for my thesis ‘What Factors influenced the design and construction of Revenue Cutters between 1770 and 1850?’

‘Four photos attached and I will send more when I take them,

‘Best Wishes

‘Will Stirling’

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but Will’s report has left me breathless!

See much more at Will’s website: Revenue Cutters and Smuggling Luggers