Tink
New member
There are some great options out there
Questions about this type of Enterprise
- Thread starter Tink
- Start date
wombat88
Well-known member
You'll see these sorts of things with the Dinghy Cruising people, plenty of self-builds of all sorts, some very clever, some very left field.
(not sure if 'self-builds' is English)
(not sure if 'self-builds' is English)
dancrane
Well-known member
I'm not happy about it myself. I'm really limited to force 3 unless I reef, which is okay but not what the Osprey was meant to do. But I like the rig's power and all her speed potential in the narrow range of wind-speed when I can use it, so I put up with the limits.
I always had a soft spot for the Gull, as a neat, good-natured little all-rounder, easily small enough for single-handing.
Tink
New member
I think it is Polish, the thing I like is the tiny cockpit, not much volume of water after a capsize, with the volume of the cabin and wide side benches it would probably come up dry. That is provided the ‘Cabin’ is kept completely dry.
In someways the Mirror is very much the same which is part of their appeal for cruising. A Mirror with a few inches added to the bottom of the mast to make the boom higher has appeal.
Tink
New member
I do like that video, my first sea adventure was on a Gull MK2. I was about 12 sailing (I was crew) on the lake at West Kirby, it was a high tide and the water came over the wall and we sailed almost to Wales. We certainly got very close to the White ship (an old ferry on the Welsh shore used as a super market). I recently sailed one again, and a Mirror, as part of this project and liked the Gull a lot more, it is probably as small as you can get and be comfortable in light air.
Still going through the capsize thread, liked your idea of the line attached to the hounds, not sure if it comes up later but there has to be some mileage in a righting pole. Catamarans and the Laser Vortex use them effectively.
One of my more eccentric ideas is to have a ‘pole’ that would be used at night to put out an outrigger with a float on the end to add stability when sleeping.
Thinking about sleeping on a platform above the thwart on a Gull here. Before you think I have gone mad this is the thought pattern. Buy one of the more modern Gulls that have higher thwart and so more difficult to camp on, where ever possible camp ashore, that has to be better right. There may be six weekends a year when a would want to sleep onboard. On those weekends I would use the pole. For all my other sailing day sails etc I have a small, light and practical boat that will get me anywhere safely, not fast but safely. For pole think laminated out of wood I beam that would be designed to fit snugly along a side tank.
What I think I am actually doing is persuading myself that I can innovate to make sailing a small sailing boat fit for purpose.
Last edited:
wombat88
Well-known member
Have a read of this (if you haven't seen it before).
There are quite a few things around like it, some nicer, some less so and I suspect they are all a blank canvas when it comes to personalisation.
Also anything loosely based on a US catboat.
https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/scamp/
There are quite a few things around like it, some nicer, some less so and I suspect they are all a blank canvas when it comes to personalisation.
Also anything loosely based on a US catboat.
https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/scamp/
wombat88
Well-known member
I knew I'd seen a cruising Mirror somewhere...courtesy Google. You are sorted now, cheap as chips.
Screen Shot 2018-12-03 at 09.10.37 by dralowid, on Flickr
dancrane
Well-known member
Here's the "How to make" video of the same boat.
I like the fact they tested it for capsize/swamping...quite fun all round for fair weather and light winds.
The irony being, you can these days pick up a purpose-designed cruiser for little more than that Mirror will have cost to convert.
Definitely cheaper to berth the Mirror, though.
I like the fact they tested it for capsize/swamping...quite fun all round for fair weather and light winds.
The irony being, you can these days pick up a purpose-designed cruiser for little more than that Mirror will have cost to convert.
Definitely cheaper to berth the Mirror, though.
lw395
Well-known member
Mirrors are quite slow enough being sailed properly by a couple of kids.
Force yourself to sit at the back like that, dragging the transom, you'd really need to hope the tide is going the right way.
I think with our weather patterns of the last few years, light weather performance is vital in a cruising boat. Particularly one without a serious motor.
A while back, someone loaned me a book called 'Red Admiral'. A tale of Mirror cruising around Cornwall.
Worth a read if you can find it IMHO.
Force yourself to sit at the back like that, dragging the transom, you'd really need to hope the tide is going the right way.
I think with our weather patterns of the last few years, light weather performance is vital in a cruising boat. Particularly one without a serious motor.
A while back, someone loaned me a book called 'Red Admiral'. A tale of Mirror cruising around Cornwall.
Worth a read if you can find it IMHO.
KINGFISHER 8
Well-known member
Buy one of those inflatable rollers … weight when hauling up a beach becomes less important … then go out and buy a Wayfarer with all the room and stability you'll ever need! … :encouragement:
dancrane
Well-known member
I bought one of the inflatable PVC rollers for the Osprey, but it's such thin material and looks so vulnerable to sharp stones, I used it as a pool-toy instead. 
Tink
New member
I bought one of the inflatable PVC rollers for the Osprey, but it's such thin material and looks so vulnerable to sharp stones, I used it as a pool-toy instead.
That’s very interesting which brand? I had looked at them I thought compared to buoyancy bags they where ridiculously cheap now I know why.
KINGFISHER 8
Well-known member
I bought one of the inflatable PVC rollers for the Osprey, but it's such thin material and looks so vulnerable to sharp stones, I used it as a pool-toy instead.
Last one I saw looked like Hypalon - certainly wasn't thin plastic and I can't imagine anyone would make such a thing for dragging dinghies up beaches … check it out for yourself before dismissing it.
Tink
New member
Known about the Scamp for quite a while (avid listener to hooked wooden boat pod cast) and never quite got it. A few weeks ago I came across that article and starting to appreciate her a little more now.
I do like cat boats, I am particularly taken by what someone has done to a Selway Fisher Petrel 13
Looks nice as it was designed also
If I was going to build again I would be coming up with something a little different. Plan 11a is get something cheap with an ok rig and sail it while a build something to my own design that would use the rig. Sitting around at Christmas as you do I usually design a few boats, just concepts I get bored with the fine details.
Tink
New member
I knew I'd seen a cruising Mirror somewhere...courtesy Google. You are sorted now, cheap as chips.
There’s a few of them about, appealing if you can 100 percent seal the cabin. I often think about asking Trident if they would use their Mirror mould to make me just the hull of a Mirror (nice solid GRP not deck literally the hull) and the build my own design with cabin on top.
Too many ideas and options not enough time, or cash
Tink
New member
Valid points, plus when it pipes up and your reefed down fighting lumpy stuff the added windage is going to cause trouble.
Thanks for the heads up on the book. £4.80 with postage from amazon ordered
Red Admiral: A Voyage Around Cornwall, David Weston
Tink
New member
All this chat is helping a lot
Have been looking at old GRP Herons, liking this model (without the rubber around the gunwale)
slightly more room than a Mirror,
quite a few GRP ones about,
centre board
lighter than a Gull
flat thwarts with low centre board easy to build a sleeping platform
foredeck with under deck shelf
slightly faster than Gull and Mirror (based on PY)
If one of the Gulls with a flat thwart came along I think I would favour that but the Heron is a strong second.
Have been looking at old GRP Herons, liking this model (without the rubber around the gunwale)
slightly more room than a Mirror,
quite a few GRP ones about,
centre board
lighter than a Gull
flat thwarts with low centre board easy to build a sleeping platform
foredeck with under deck shelf
slightly faster than Gull and Mirror (based on PY)
If one of the Gulls with a flat thwart came along I think I would favour that but the Heron is a strong second.
Last edited:
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Somehow Dan, I kind of guessed that Ospreys would get a mention in this thread.
But as a thread drift - This is not about the OP sorry - (perhaps he should look at a GP14) have you heard of a K1.
We have K6's at our club. Two of our members have been UK nat champs. However, one member did have a small version ( K1) with a 60 KG lifting ballasted keel for single handing. Easily launched off the beach, The centreboard is just raised off the main halyard like the K6. You just sail it into deep water on the jib then drop the keel with the main halyard swop it to the sail & raise the main. They are light boats.
I do not think that they caught on so may be a job to find. Not sure that they are still made. But if you can find one they may be cheap second hand. That way you get a fast light single handed ballasted 15 ft lifting keel boat easy to launch & pretty good at avoiding the capsize & sailable in winds much higher than the lowly F4 that you are stuck with.
FairweatherDave
Well-known member
Glad you have discovered the DCA, Tink. Judging your 40 years of racing experience I agree with those who suggest boats between 12 and 14 feet. I love my Wayfarer and have never come close to capsizing it but it is a handful ashore compared to seeing those launching Gulls, Mirrors and the like. But personally I'd always feel happier in something slighly bigger than 11ft so I'd trust your instincts (and sailing skills) with something like an Enterprise. One DCA member gets all over the place with his. Quite a contrast in cruising style to the Roger Barnes video approach (very Swallows and Amazons romantic but slow and heavy equipment).
Tink
New member
Just of my laptop exploring the DCA bulletin CD, a few old but good articles about Herons. Including one comparing the Mirror, Heron and Gull, that’s my evening sorted.
The Enterprise does have some plus points - speed and space
I have sailed Wayfarers a fair bit, teaching, and then been part of the team needed to pull it up onto the beach.
