Rig / info E.Coast clinker dinghy, Walton On Naze?

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The skipper has just bought a 9 foot dinghy. The story that came with it is that it was in a boatyard at Walton on the Naze, which was being cleared out for redevelopment, and it was rescued from being burned by the builders / demolition / whatever who actually burned 70 similar ones (???). The seller also claimed to have another with scorch marks (??). Anybody know if this story could be true, has a yard or boat hire been closed down over there in the last ten years or so?

Also looking for how it should be for restoration. We are told it dates from 1910 (?). Has two rowing positions with two thwarts plus a seat across the stern. Clinker built and fastened with copper rivets. Mast (about 11 ft) fits through hole in forward thwart. Currently carries ancient rotting white triangular sail. No halyard. Boom is a bit of bamboo, which I guess is not original. Rudder missing. Floor boards curve with bottom, no bilge space. Rings inside each end make me think it was lifted on davits. No other fittings, no name. Keel is straight, running out to form a skeg of about 5 inches. No centreboard or ballast, form is flattish with a nice tumble home on top planks, looks very attractive.

I would have expected a lugsail, there is no gooseneck, is the triangle right? Were these used for hire? Will make a great sailing tender, is that what she was built for? What shape rudder?

Do you know a good source of info to identify the style of design, original rig etc? Or anything about dinghies used on Naze or around there, or what details to date it from, or anything? Very interested to hear your thoughts.

Steve
Plymouth

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[Evadne]

Re: Rig / info E.Coast clinker dinghy, Walton On N

Maybe a bit too far from Walton, but it sounds a bit like the scows I used to see when I learned to sail at Burnham-on-Crouch. Many similar designs around the country with, as you suggest, a lugsail.

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[DanTribe]

There is [or was] a municipal boating lake at Walton on Naze off Foundry Lane. It seems likely that they would have used boats such as you describe, in fairly large numbers.
Many small east coast boatyards produced 10 or 11 ft clinker dinghies almost as a matter of course when not occupied on larger projects, and many small clubs had their own One Designs but probably only in small numbers, say 12 to 20.
The rig usually was a balanced lug or perhaps gunter, with the boom stropped down to the thwart instead of a gooseneck. If for use on municiple lake, it would have no centreboard due to shallow water,[ so the grockles could wade ashore].
I believe that the local boatbuilder is called Bedwell & Co.
The Walton & Frinton Yacht Club still run a class of clinker dinghies, which I think are called Jewel class. They may be able to give more info.

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[Mirelle]

I remember those.

There was a boating lake in Mill Lane, Walton on Naze. On your right as you head towards the Yacht Club, before the Town Hard It was originally, as I now know, but did not know forty years ago, when I was 9 and 10 and used to cycle to Walton and spend my pocket money hiring one, the pound for Walton on Naze Tide Mill, which was demolished in the early 1920's. The tide mill stood where some of Hall's shed snow stand on your right as you face the Town Hard. (Incidentally, the same miller had a wind mill, which fell down at the same time, and stood where Walton and Frinton YC now stands - in fact the Club wharf is the old mill wharf for Thames barges.)

The triangular cotton sail is right, as I suspect is the bamboo boom, but I am not sure about that. The original colour scheme, by the way, was green and cream. The boat would I am sure stand a larger rig; these boats were hired to anybody, with no fuss about lifejactets and so on.

As I recall, the sailing boats were pram bowed, and there were also a goodly number of rowing boats which were stem dinghies with less sheer and beam.

I had not heard the story of what happened to them. What a silly waste.

Incidentally, Jon Wainwright of the ECOGA was behind a scheme to turn the old mill pound into a marina, which did not get planning permission. It seems to be more or less derelict now.

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