9 minute read
LETTERS
LETTER OF THE MONTH SUPPORTED BY OLD PULTENEY WHISKY
The world famous Isle of Purbeck Yacht Club
In the latter half of the 19th century, yacht clubs proliferated along Britain’s coasts. The most famous was, and still is, the Royal Yacht Squadron. Less well known was the Isle of Purbeck Yacht Club in England’s south coast, founded in 1875 and defunct by the early 1890s, after a smattering of regattas and races during its 15 years’ existence. Unknown to the club, thousands of miles away in the USA, James Buchanan Duke had established the Dukes Tobacco Company which rapidly expanded to become American Tobacco in 1890. James Duke ran a series of cigarette cards called ‘Yacht Colors of the World’. It included the Royal Bermuda, Royal Canadian, and the St Petersburg Imperial among others, and the Royal Yacht Squadron, incorrectly titled ‘The Royal Squadron Yacht Club’.
Each card had a colour illustration of a well-known actress of the time dressed in the colours of the particular yacht club, accompanied by a colour illustration of the club’s burgee. Amazingly, among some of the very famous clubs of the time was the Isle of Purbeck. The card, number 91 in the series, had an illustration of one Estelle Clayton, a Broadway star. The club’s red-and-black burgee is shown and Estelle is wearing a red-and-black hat to match. The burgee clearly shows a swan: is this because of the Swanage connection? I am mystified as to why this local Dorset club in England was chosen for an American cigarette card series. The cigarettes would have been distributed worldwide no doubt and the name of the Isle of Purbeck Yacht Club would have been a complete mystery to most when the packet was opened!
Michael Scott, Poole, Dorset
Fleur de Lys motorboats
Peter Poland’s well researched and informative recent article describing the work of J Francis Jones made brief reference to the Fleur De Lys motor yachts. The location chosen for the production of these excellent craft my appear strange, 12 miles inland from the Wash. This was dictated by the requirement to provide a large building to increase production should the necessity arise. In the event, a man of drive and vision, Jim E Dagless, took over premises of 25,000sqft near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, eventually employing 100 craftsmen there. Motor yachts ranged from 50 to 78ft (23.8m) by the end of production. The production facility was not only far from the sea; it was a mile from the nearest slipway on the River Nene. Jim Dagless and team met the challenge enthusiastically, building custom trailers. I’m sure a large crowd of locals would have watched the cumbersome loads trundling to the launch site. Manufacture started in 1959 and ended in 1979 when it became apparent that costs could compete with building in glassfibre.
The three-year sandwich course in Yacht and Boatyard Management (later HND Yacht Manufacturing and Management) was based at what is now Solent University. It required students to spend two six-month industrial experience placements interspersed with their studies.
As lecturer in charge, I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Dagless while following up a student placement in 1968. I was most impressed by the organisation of the production run and the cheerful disposition of the work force, of which he was rightly proud.
Jim Hazel, Fareham, Hampshire
Clinker launch identification
I wonder if you could help finding out the origin of my mahogany day cruiser? I bought her in Amsterdam three years ago. The owner had restored it for a decade but was not sure about her origin. He guessed she might be built in the 1940s or early 1950s when such boats were typically used for cruising in Dutch grachts and canals. The boat is now based near Berlin on the Havel River.
Winfried Meissner, Jena, Germany
WEE BRITANNIA
The 1904-built Elrhuna, the oldest surviving Robertson-built boat and designed by Alexander Robertson himself, is thought to be a scaleddown version of GL Watson’s famous masterpiece.
A CENTURY OF RIVA
The late Carlo Riva was behind what many would say are the most beautiful motorboats of all time.
SMALL BOAT BUYER’S GUIDE
As part of our irregular series, we’re looking at sailing yachts up to 32ft, a size that will take a family of four anywhere.
PLUS…
We test the popular water-ballasted BayCruiser 23; action from the Vela Puig in Barcelona; the latest books; Morgan Giles Part Two; Jonathan Greenwood in the Mediterranean
OCTOBER 2022
On sale Friday 9 September 2022. Or why not subscribe? SAILING TODAY WITH YACHTS & YACHTING
LATEST SAFETY KIT: FOR BOAT AND CREW
SEPTEMBER 2022 £4.95
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CHANNEL CROSSING
25 yachts you MUST see!
Short-handed lessons learned
BOAT TEST Eco cat that sold 150 o -plan! Dee and Shirley Round Britain & Ireland together
HOW TO
Navigate like a pro Avoid drying-out mishaps Win from the committee boat end
ROUND THE ISLAND RACE How class winners did it SHARED OWNERSHIP Cost-e ective sailing FRENCH RIVER DREAM Breton cruising at its best
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8 4 1 6 8 5 7 6 3 1 7 7 9
Cover final.indd 3 12/07/2022 13:29
IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE
Crossing the Channel short-handed Syndicate sailing: sharing the cost of boat ownership Sailing the rivers of
Brittany Round the Island analysis: how the class winners did it New boats specaial: 25 of the best How to: navigate like a pro; dry out; race tips and more
Available online or ordernow post-freefrom chelseamagazines.com/shop
30 YEARS AGO
September 1992, CB51
“It’s fair to say that even those who had whooped it up in Douarnenez in 1988 and returned with fi shermen’s tales of the scale of the event were totally unprepared for the breath-taking size, the variety and the pace of the festivities that made Brest ’92,” wrote editor Peter Milne. The event, now quadrennial, is by some margin Brest ’92,” wrote editor Peter Milne. The event, now quadrennial, is by some margin the world’s biggest maritime festival. Half a million visitors attended that fi rst event the world’s biggest maritime festival. Half a million visitors attended that fi rst event to see more than 2,200 boats from around the world. These days, it’s thought that to see more than 2,200 boats from around the world. These days, it’s thought that up to a million people go to Brest, which makes it the size of about fi ve Glastonbury up to a million people go to Brest, which makes it the size of about fi ve Glastonbury Festivals. Ga rig is, it seems, bigger than rock ‘n’ roll. Who would have guessed? Elsewhere in that issue, we ran the story of the long-lived International 14s, the epitome of the extreme two-handed racing dinghy from its inception in the early 1900s to today’s carbon fi bre examples. In terms of power, we had the American fairy tale of Chris-Craft, a company that has almost certainly made more boats, of any description, but primarily the mahogany runabout, than anyone else in the world; about 250,000 was our estimate back then. They are still going strong today, 138 years after the company was founded as “Decoy Duck Manufacturer – Also Builder of Duck Boats, Paddles, Etc.” Chris Craft is much snappier.
Considering an Electric Outboard?
“Using a well-engineered electric outboard has been a revelation.’’
TOM CUNLIFFE Classic Boat
From £1650
Epropulsion Spirit PLUS
› 1276Wh battery › Faster to charge › Battery floats if dropped › Foldable tiller means only one cable to connect › Three shaft length options › Direct drive (no gearbox)
From £1750 Torqeedo 1103
› 916Wh battery › GPS data on tiller gives speed & range indication › Removable tiller (more compact for storage) › Near‐silent direct drive › Much more robust than the previous model (Torqeedo 1003)
Quiet, Convenient, Reliable and Easy-to-Use
In the popular 2-4hp category, the latest electric outboards – with their integral and rechargeable lithium batteries – have transformed the market, rendering petrol motors all-but obsolete. Advantages include:
› Ease of Use Switch on, twist the tiller handles, go. Almost anybody can do it; no experience, strength or mechanical knowledge is needed. › Ease of Handling The batteries
are removable, and the “pass up and down” weight (the shaft/motor assembly) is then 10kg or less. › Ease of Storage These electric motors divide into components, don’t leak oil or petrol, and don’t mind which way up they’re stored. › › Quietness & Smoothness
Electric motors are a delight to use. › Power Forget slow speed “trolling motors”, these 1kW electrics have huge torque (more like a 3hp petrol). › Range There are many variables, but most users achieve at least 9 to 10 nautical miles per charge, at 4 to 5 knots (2.5m inflatable dinghy).
Much more if you slow down a little. › Reliability Many outboard motors don’t get used very often, and small petrol motors hate this. Electric outboards have fewer parts in general, and in particular there’s no carburettor to “gum up”.
Of course, it’s not all perfect. The range may still not be enough for some users. And they’re undeniably More Expensive than petrol outboards, mostly because lithium batteries are expensive. But that extra upfront cost is largely offset by
Of course, it’s not all perfect. The range may still not be enough for some users. And they’re undeniably lithium batteries are expensive. But that extra upfront cost is largely offset by their Lower Lifetime Running Costs, including (almost) No Servicing.their
NESTAWAY BOATS is the UK’s number one retailer for both Torqeedo
AND Epropulsion. You can find out more on our website, and we are always happy to discuss further – and offer advice – by email or phone. If you’d like to see them before making a purchase, we are based in Christchurch, Dorset (UK).
