'swallows and amazons type' sailing/rowing boats ??

[Joel Silverberg]

My daughter, Sarah Mae, (age 10) has fallen in love with the "Swallows and Amazons" series of adventure books by Arthur Ransome. We have just finished reading our 9th novel of the series. She would love a 10 to 14 ft sailing dinghy in which to go exploring with her friends (or when dad is lucky enough to be invited, with her dad). My wife thinks she might enjoy rowing more than sailing. I'm thinking that our CD-27 would be a lot more versitile with a tender/dinghy. Is there a boat (must be beautiful ... that's my requirement) that would serve all three needs. Boats that have been recommended to me include the Trinka 10, the Bauer 10, the Fatty Knees 9, and the Whitehall dinghies. Can any of the readership speak from direct personal experience on the relative merits of these boats? Or the pros and cons of any one of them. Are there other gems that ought to be added to the list of candidates? Looking for pretty boat that rows well, is easy, safe, and satisfying to sail, and tows well (not much deck space on a 27-ft boat).

Other issues that I'm fretting over are whether to go for a boat with just a mailsail (simplicity ... just one string to pull) or with a mainsail and jib (something for her to 'grow into') and whether to indulge my fancy for a gaff, gunter, or sprit rig (I just love the old fashioned look) or to stay with a marconi rig (more efficient, certainly more boats to choose from).

Thanks for any musings.

Joel Silverberg
s/v Baraka
CD27 #44
Narragansett Bay, RI



[img]http://www.iws.net/wier/FieldBOAT6.jpg[/img]
joels@ids.net

[Mark Yashinsky]

There is a CD10 for sale by Tony Brunetti (search below) in RI. Bill Goldsmith has towed his CD10 (Another Chance) behind his CD27 (Second Chance) and recall no complains except both being hard hulls (bump, bump, bump during the night).

[mitch]

It might be worth looking at a Dyer 9. Fiberglass hull, lots of beautiful bronze, oak, teak, and mahogany, tows and rows like a dream, with a compact easy to rig mast that fits below decks in a Typhoon! They've been making them continuously since the 1940s so used ones are usually not too hard to find.

[Kurt]

I learned to sail in a 9' Dyer Dhow back in 1963 when I was 14 years old. 5 years ago I purchased another 9' Dyer for my sons to do the same. It's a wonderful and traditional little sailing dinghy. Beamy, relatively flat bottomed, light weight and very stable. Sails and rows like a dream. Brilliantly designed with incredible attention to detail. The FIRST production boat in the world ever to be built in fiberglass...circa 1946. And yes, they're built identically today as they were back then.



kjlgpw@aol.com

[Steve L]

Any Idea what a fair price for a Dyer Dhow with or without a sail rig would be and if anyone has one available please send me an E-mail. I have two children just about the right age to start sailing and my 13 year old daughter loves to row. Thank you, Steve.



slaume@yahoo.com

[John Nuttall]

......many hits....

here is a recent thread:

[Murray Glue]

I share your daughters enthusiasm, and have just such a boat.

She is a New Zealand design, by the late Denis Ganley. The design was called Shoal Bay Drifter. I find her to be the perfect answer as an
all-round exploring, fishing and messing about in boat.

Overall she is sixteen feet, which may be a little large for you to
tow around, but I have taken her behind the CD30. She has a simple
plywood single chine hull, with plenty of sheer, wooden spars and a gaff rig with a handsome bow sprit and plenty of sheer. The centreboard is pivoting so she can be run into shallow
water and beached. She is big enough to take two adults, or 4 kids, and a heap of camping gear. Originally we called her Swallow, but now
she is known as the Sea Rover.

Recently I took her insides apart and built in dry space fore and aft,
and more seating area. To prevent nautical disasters she can now
accomodate alot of under seat bouyancy in the form of foam blocks.

Around the time I bought her I gave my specifications for the ideal Swallows and Amazons ship to a naval architect who needed a project vessel for a study course. The result was the Haulashore, which has
many of the features of the Shoal Bay Drifter.

I can recommend either as a great kids boat. They are sensibly canvassed, and reliable, and difficult to get into trouble with.

Currently I am offshore near Vietnam, but either or both of these
fine vessels might be possibly researched on the internet. I have
no photographs of the Sea Rover with me, but will gladly send some when I get back to New Zealand in 2 weeks time.

You could try searching for Naval architects on the internet. Denis
Ganley died tragically a few years ago, and the Haulashore was designed by Richard McBride of Nelson, New Zealand.

Please feel free to contact me at murray@offshoretechnical.com should you want any further information.

Murray Glue
CD30 Dayspring
Nelson
New Zealand



murray@offshoretechnical.com

[Kurt]

The price would depend on age and condition...a new one is around $3000+ with the sailing option. I was given my 1972 model for 'free' although the owner charged me $500 for the 2 piece wooden (spruce I think) mast, boom and sailing rig which were in like new condition. The hull had been stored upside down on the ground for years and actually had weeds growing out of the centerboard trunk. I purchased replacement parts from Dyer and rebuilt the hull to like new condition. This included reriveting new inner/outer oak gunwale trim (clamp & guard)using copper rivets and steam bent oak pieces supplied by Dyer parts dept. Buy one!



kjlgpw@aol.com

[Billy Bones]

Wonderful! That boat in your post is 'Aileen Louisa' owned by a wonderful chap in Australia named Mike Field. He makes andsells wooden boat fittings.

I also wanted a boat which would complement the Swallows and Amazons. We've been reading that series aloud every night since before my 2yo was born.

I opted to build the pooduck skiff designed by Joel White. Mine is in the (hopefully)attached image. She was a very simple build, sails and rows and tows dry and true even in open ocean (my back yard). She will sail with one sail or two, rows like she's on rails even in stiff breeze, (lower the board a bit) andso on. I wrote a series of articles on building her which I posted on the WoodenBoat forum under building and repair entitled Billy Bones Abuilding, parts 1-8 or so.

I've tried and been disappointed by every production boat I ever tried, which is most of them.

The woodenboat forum has many discussions of swallows and amazons and related boats. Mike Field, owner of the boat in your picture, is a frequent contributer on that forum as well. Use their search feature, and good luck. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.



[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... b2f145.jpg[/img]
billybonesesq@yahoo.com

[Barbel Polansky]

It might be worth looking at a Dyer 9. Fiberglass hull, lots of beautiful bronze, oak, teak, and mahogany, tows and rows like a dream, with a compact easy to rig mast that fits below decks in a Typhoon! They've been making them continuously since the 1940s so used ones are usually not too hard to find.

Bought a used Dyer Dhow for $300 with three sails and the boat was rebuilt at a minimal cost.I use it for frost biting during the winter. One word of caution, in case of capsize, help is required to right the boat.





b_polansky@hotmail.com