Dyarchy

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Debenair

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This breathtakingly beautiful Laurent Giles 30s cutter has just upped anchor at Erwarton Ness.
Amazing looking vessel!
Last saw her at Ramsholt about 30 years ago.
 
The lovely gaff cutter Dyarchy is one of my all time favourite boats but I've never actually seen her. There are two photographs of her sailing, one is the frontispiece, in Eric Hiscock's book Cruising under Sail; plus several other photos of her interior. Have you any idea how long she might be around here?
 
I thought I saw her anchored at East Mersea Stone Point last Monday, but as I got near I saw it was a Dutch boat, can't remember the name.
She followed us out and headed up the Blackwater.
Are you sure it was Dyarchy and not this Dutchman that you saw?
 
That's the one.
She passed through Ramsholt about 15.15 as I was picking up my mooring.
Red ensign. So not a Dutchman.
According to the book on Laurent Giles designs which I consulted on my return home yesterday evening she was sold to a Dane in 1982, and was kept in Trieste.
Anybody know who owns her now?

The crew seemed to be two gentlemen of mature years and a younger fellow.
 
Debenair said:
That's the one.
She passed through Ramsholt about 15.15 as I was picking up my mooring.
Red ensign. So not a Dutchman.
According to the book on Laurent Giles designs which I consulted on my return home yesterday evening she was sold to a Dane in 1982, and was kept in Trieste.
Anybody know who owns her now?

The crew seemed to be two gentlemen of mature years and a younger fellow.
Click to expand...
there were copies made according to tinternet
 
DanTribe said:
I thought I saw her anchored at East Mersea Stone Point last Monday, but as I got near I saw it was a Dutch boat, can't remember the name.
She followed us out and headed up the Blackwater.
Are you sure it was Dyarchy and not this Dutchman that you saw?
Click to expand...

There was a race yesterday (Saturday) starting at the Nass - I counted 45 boats, maybe more - Most were smacks, and there were three Dutchmen, and several classics
 
I think we saw Dyarchy sailing off Pin Mill on Saturday. She certainly looked very fine.

My eye was also caught by another stunning yacht moored opposite Levington - Gulvain. I don't know if she's been discussed here but she was also a Laurent Giles design and the first boat ever built in aluminium and with an interesting racing history. There are quite a lot of photos of her around, such as here: http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1949/Sussex-Shipbuilding-Laurent-Giles-Design-104-2167110/France
 
'Dyarchy' certainly is a beautiful thing.

I seem to remember reading in one of Eric Hiscock's earlier books (before 'Cruising Under Sail') that he used to sail in her with Roger Pinckney and his elderly mother. Each season's cruise started with a pasage to Guernsey, where she was dried out alongside the quay and anti-fouled. She had no engine then.

I think Eric Hiscock met his wife Susan on one of these trips.
 
Reading the articles written by Roger Pinckney on the website I linked above, you get a flavour of his personality and his opinion on the engine and other matters - quite a character! (and I love the in the "entertaining article" where Pinckney is described as getting married at the tender age of 58, and then selling Dyarchy two years later!)
 
I don't believe the John Lawrence yachts version is the original D ii as the rig in one of the photos is Bermudan on alloy mast.
The yacht I have seen over this summer is a living anachronism , a timewarp piece. Beautifully presented, but not recently restored and certainly not in course of preparation for the Antigua classics in early 2014.
Is the J L website a meticulously Researched windup?
I came across a few interesting ones in my working career usually featuring the efforts of boiler rooms flogging worthless US stocks.
 
The yacht being restored by John Lawrence Yachts is Dyarchy II,, a sistership, not Dyarchy itself see http://www.laurentgilesarchive.com/yacht-detail?id_no=211.

The plans are incomplete or lack detail (in the archive) and they have had to do a lot of research to rebuild the boat as it was originally was after being messed about with rig and fitting wise etc. They are building a new wooden mast and have been looking for large highfield levers,can't find any, and are having them cast in bronze! They are friendly so contact them for more info and pics.
 
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