Mirror dinghy.

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Paul HD

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Hi All,

Recently purchased my first sailing vessel. It is a beautiful Mirror dinghy built in 2002.
She is in great condition, I hope I can keep her that way.

I don't have any intentions of racing, just cruising around and learn how to sail.
I know I have got the rigging of the sail wrong in this picture. :-))



Whilst I am waiting for the warmer weather to come I decided to start adding a few bits. I have seen a few owners make covers for the stowage compartment so I decided to do the same.

Short vid showing the start of the project.

 
If you interested in projects the Mirrormania book might be of use in case you haven’t seen . Started in mirrors in mid 70s and still have one in a garage on the iow but sadly not used for many years due to larger boats taking over.
 
ashtead said:
If you interested in projects the Mirrormania book might be of use in case you haven’t seen . Started in mirrors in mid 70s and still have one in a garage on the iow but sadly not used for many years due to larger boats taking over.
Click to expand...
Hi,
thanks for the heads up. That seems to be a very rare book. I will keep looking.

Do you think you will go back to the Mirror when the large boats become too much? Bit like a full circle.

Cheers,
Paul.
 
I have kept on basis if I ever have grandchildren I might tow the Mirror to a suitable venue for some exploring with a small outboard or sails. We used to enjoy sailing it in rivers and harbours so one day I might trail it to Chi harbour and visit all those places our 1.99m draft rather puts off limits. It has a greater range than that offered by a paddle board or say a Topper but can be still towed in good weather around Solent .
 
Rescued a man from his canoe at Littlehampton and he gave me his old Mirror dinghy butit proved too big to stow on deck so I pasted it onto another boat less sailor!
 
I like everything about Mirrors except one.

Don't charge up the beach with the dagger board down, unlike a centreboard it has nowhere to go.
 
As Wobat says you need to get a spare short dagger board (another project) so you can run up beaches with the Outboard but just watch out for rocks as bows of mirrors dont like them
 
wombat88 said:
I like everything about Mirrors except one.

Don't charge up the beach with the dagger board down, unlike a centreboard it has nowhere to go.
Click to expand...

A few of the Mirrors I looked at had a damaged boards.
I am picking up another Mirror on Saturday and that has one. I will cut it down and use it for when I am motoring
 
There was a very long thread on the Wooden Boat Forum about a Mirror called 'The Mighty Pippin', Restored by a guy in Oz. Might be worth a Google on the site.
Guy's name is Duncan Gibbs.

A good read on these rainy days , 'The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow' by A.J. Mackinnon. Taking a mirror from Wales to the Black Sea.
 
Last edited:
DownWest said:
There was a very long thread on the Wooden Boat Forum about a Mirror called 'The Mighty Pippin', Restored by a guy in Oz. Might be worth a Google on the site.
Click to expand...

Hi,
That is an amazing build thread. Very interesting and bookmarked for future reference. I have only been looking at the pics and reading the odd post for the last 45 minutes and I still need to finish.:)

Thanks for mentioning it.

Cheers,
Paul.
 
I don't recall his name, but at some point in the 70's, the Mirror World Champion was a Brit that was brilliant in light winds. His words of wisdom to me were along the lines of "Son, you need to take up smoking. When you exhale, you'll see exactly what the wind is doing".
 
SpiderMoobs said:
I don't recall his name, but at some point in the 70's, the Mirror World Champion was a Brit that was brilliant in light winds. His words of wisdom to me were along the lines of "Son, you need to take up smoking. When you exhale, you'll see exactly what the wind is doing".
Click to expand...
I suppose they would use one of those vape things today. :)
 
I bought the trailer but the Mirror had to come with it. The dinghy is not in good nick but it has plenty of spares for me to use with the other dinghy.
Trailer will be good with a bit of a clean up.

85Z1wV6l.jpg
 
Hi All,

Short video of the dinghy that came with the trailer. I am so happy that I ended up with the dinghy, as all the spares will come in very useful.
Plus the good wood from the Mirror will go towards my hobby of turning pens. :)

 
the mirror was the first boat i ever sailed on at chichester sailing club back around 1980s (was a friends mums dinghy, i was approx 13 years old). fond memories.
then i joined my local sailing club on a lake and sailed toppers, wayfairers and enterprises until the late 90s. Then stopped sailing for around 10 years. then joined my local yacht club sailing stratos keels, omegas and an enterprise then got a sadler seawych yacht, then intro 22 now jeanneau sundream

so, it was the Mirrors fault ;)
 
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