The real Swallow

[Croak]

Or so I was told.

 

[Croak]

Wasn't so difficult.

 

[JimC]

I believe the real Swallow was built by Crossfields of Arnside, the firm who developed and built most of the Morecambe Bay Prawners.

 

[Lakesailor]

It's understood the real Swallow no longer exists.
There were three. One owned by the Collingwoods who AR stayed with, One he had built (by Crossfields as JimC says) and was the Altounyan's really although AR sold it.
The third he had built in 1946 in East Anglia.
None are thought to survive.
The one in your pic could be the one built for the film which the AR Society bought and restored

 

[JimC]

I believe the real Swallow was built by Crossfields of Arnside, the firm who developed and built most of the Morecambe Bay Prawners.

I've found the reference. It's on page 17 of Arthur Ransome's Lakeland by Roger Wardale... "Their other boat was the Swallow which was a little longer and roomier. She was built by Crossfields of Arnside and was usually sailed by Susie and Roger. She was fast and stable with a rather deep keel and a brown sail." The Susie is Susie Altounyan, a child in the family on which the fictional Swallows were based.

Interestingly it is still common for sailing dinghies in Morecambe Bay to have long shallow keels rather than centreboards. There are several such around Sunderland Point and Overton. and the modern GRP versions built by Character Boats all have this feature. http://www.characterboats.co.uk

 

[Croak]

the people in the boat said it was the original swallow, that could be original to the film, they said it had not been at "wild Cat Island" for 20? years.

 

[Lakesailor]

The proof.
(Buoyancy bags spoil it for me. I didn't have them when I first owned Serendipity. I didn't have them, refused to have them etc. When I bought the boat back the second time it had bags in and I didn't take them out. Not quite sure why.)

​

 

[Croak]

The proof.
(Buoyancy bags spoil it for me. I didn't have them when I first owned Serendipity. I didn't have them, refused to have them etc. When I bought the boat back the second time it had bags in and I didn't take them out. Not quite sure why.)

Yes, not very authentic, but would be costly collecting the boat from the bottom, especially with novice sailers.

It took them a long time to get to Wild Cat Island, we were there in September.

 

[Lakesailor]

I think Amazon was the quicker boat

I sailed my Heron there, but never did take the clinker boat, although I did sail it on Coniston a few times.

Lookout

 

[Croak]

I think I would have preferred to be on the Amazon boat. Better ratios.

 

[Lakesailor]

This was their post about the Harbour Visit

 

[jellylegs]

In Classic Boat this month, was on their stand at the London Boat show last year, I believe.