What is/was a two and a half rater?

[Exmouth-historian]

I am researching aspects of our local sailing club's history. One of the past members had a two-and-a-half rater (I've only seen it expressed in numerals but the forum doesn't seem to handle fractions) called Skrimjanker. He was racing her in the 1890s. Can anybody provide any information about this class of boat please? Even better, does anybody know anything about Skrimjanker beyond the fact that she was owned by F. Conway Sharp?

 

[Tranona]

This arhv.sea.museum/collections/34287/the-small-raters briefly explains the YRA "Rater" rules from the late 19thC. Many boats were built to the rule for racing particularly small half raters on the Thames as well as on the coast like the Seabird half raters on the IOW. They were roughly 24' long. As you can see popular down under in 2 1/2 form which are larger, around 36' long and no doubt some were built in the UK

 

[Exmouth-historian]

Thank you Tranona. That helps a lot. For clarity (I should have added this earlier) the local sailing club is on the south Devon coast in the UK.

 

[Tranona]

Yes, I know. I used to work for Chris Tremlett at Topsham. Not sure that racing Raters would have been a big thing in Exmouth. Would be interesting to see what other types of boats were being raced at the time.

 

[Exmouth-historian]

There were several press reports of these raters being raced along the Devon coast (I haven't looked further afield) although generally there weren't many of them in each race - typically 4 or 5.

 

[Keith 66]

About ten years ago there was a half rater named Mist on a mooring at Minehead on the Bristol Channel, I nearly bought her back in the early 90's & it was good to see her still going. She was built by Heywoods at Southend in 1888 or thereabouts! Another one I missed buying was the Kitty Alone, built by Burgoine in 1884 she ended her days being burned by the council at Two tree island.

 

[Wansworth]

About ten years ago there was a half rater named Mist on a mooring at Minehead on the Bristol Channel, I nearly bought her back in the early 90's & it was good to see her still going. She was built by Heywoods at Southend in 1888 or thereabouts! Another one I missed buying was the Kitty Alone, built by Burgoine in 1884 she ended her days being burned by the council at Two tree island.

My father bought a 15 footer,carvel built,lug rigged with an iron bowsprit,it was built by Burgoine…….at Teddington?

 

[Keith 66]

Alfred Burgoine had a yard at Kingston which is close. He built some lovely boats. Kitty alone was in a barn & turned up in our local paper for sale. Unfortunately someone pipped me to the post & got their half an hour before me.
The seller let me have a look & she was lovely a real time warp boat that had been under cover with tons of gear for about 40 years.
But i missed out, I followed her progress as the new owner took her to Two tree & proceeded to bodge her including cutting her counter off & walling it up with scaffold boards. He then abandoned her until the council cleared the site.
Just one of many i couldnt save!

 

[Wansworth]

Alfred Burgoine had a yard at Kingston which is close. He built some lovely boats. Kitty alone was in a barn & turned up in our local paper for sale. Unfortunately someone pipped me to the post & got their half an hour before me.
The seller let me have a look & she was lovely a real time warp boat that had been under cover with tons of gear for about 40 years.
But i missed out, I followed her progress as the new owner took her to Two tree & proceeded to bodge her including cutting her counter off & walling it up with scaffold boards. He then abandoned her until the council cleared the site.
Just one of many i couldnt save!

My fathers dinghy did have a plaque with her name “Dora” and Burgoine but it’s long gone though I salvaged it after Dora was broke up after not surviving an encounter with the pier at Littlehampton in 1966