Who has actually owned a Wooden boat.

[jakeroyd]

I started sailing with a 1940's ? clinker built Nationa 12 dinghy , bought in complete and utter ignorance.
The wood was britle by then and the proper copper rivets with backing washers were nailsick.

We used to sail it on lake Bala.
We would get there on Friday evening , launch , let it sink , thenbail it out in the morning. By then it was relatively watertight.
Used to spring leaks when pressing on though.

It taught me a lot

 

[halb]

SCOD in the mid 70's wish that I never sold her for a number of years. Now have a Moody Halberdier.

 

[PhillM]

Yes and I still do. Cheverton Caravell Mk2 - bought 2010 and fully refitted over the last three years.

I have learned SOOO much in the last three years. Put my back out three times as well. But I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

I have gone from boat owning novice to, well still a boat owning novice, I have touched every part of my boat (inside and out) and taken apart and fixed or replaced nearly everything that can be taken apart and put back together again.

My next challenge is to learn how to sail her as well as she deserves. Solent racing here I come

 

[simonfraser]

Still own one, ply epoxy.
Saw an old mistreated one years ago, still in reasonable nick, it gave me courage.

 

[PhillM]

Still own one, ply epoxy.
Saw an old mistreated one years ago, still in reasonable nick, it gave me courage.

 

[Lakesailor]

I have touched every part of my boat (inside and out) and taken apart and fixed or replaced nearly everything that can be taken apart and put back together again.

That's when you "own" something. Same as my Heron and to a lesser extent my clinker dinghy. Also my little car has become my own now that I have changed virtually everything.

 

[prv]

I ticked "no", then I scrolled down and realised people were counting dinghies. I used to have a Mirror.

Wooden spars (two masts) on Kindred Spirit so I know a thing or two about varnishing.

Pete

 

[windlipper]

Had a Hillyard 13 tonner for 11 years. I used to really look forward to those dry and sunny days when I could .......... paint, varnish and do all the other things that wooden boats always seemed to need!
Definitely recommend if you have plenty of time and/or money and prefer maintaining to sailing. (But I still loved it!)

 

[NormanS]

Yes, a 12' ply sailing dinghy, an 18' gaff cutter clinker ship's lifeboat, a self built strip planked Folkboat, a 60' Scottish Fishing boat, all of which were great, but now enjoying the ease and simplicity of GRP.

 

[mikeinkwazi]

Looking for one now! Any body want a plastic Twister?

 

[Old Troll]

Wooden Boats

Looking for one now! Any body want a plastic Twister?

My family owned a ring net fishing boat and I worked onboard wooden fishing boats for 32 years. I owned two such boats, one at 40ft and the other at 55ft. So guess I can claim to be familiar with such craft.

 

[Daydream believer]

A Walker Super 12 when i was 11years ( Gunter rigged clinker dinghy made in leigh on sea)
At 12 my father built a Sillouhette & never sailed it so I had that for 3-4 years ( won 3rd prize in the Musto " Magic of Cruising" contest for a trip I did at 12 years of age)- Still kept the Walker though as it was fun
At 16 a Hornet with sliding seat - buily by Doe from the IOW- Spent most of the time upside down
At 21 a new Stella- for 10 years
Then a Shearwater cat for 4 or 5 years to show the kids how to sail before getting them their wooden cadet
Then another, self built, Hornet- not the same when you are older!!! & not so good as the sailboards
Then another Stella ( bought as a wreck, stripped to a hull totally rebuilt, sheathed in epoxy )
That is it.
Current boats owned are Phantom, Squib & Hanse 311 all GRP & far easier to maintain
Thing is that my Hanse cannot hold a candle to my Stellas ( size for size) on the quality of shear sailing handling

But a Hanse is far better & in a different world
& just to wind Seajet up ---( if he is reading)--- It s a lot more comfortable & has all the gizmos- never want to go back to anything smaller

 

[paulm299]

Robert Tucker Matilda Yawl . Ply with a 9 h.p. Dolphin inboard .

 

[chinita]

Definitely recommend if you have plenty of time and/or money and prefer maintaining to sailing. (But I still loved it!)

I love sailing mine.

BUT. The pleasure increases enormously when sailing her following a spell of maintenance. The gleaming painted topsides, mirror-like varnished coachroof - all to disappear within a few short weeks; immense pride of ownership.

I have sailed her when she has been in particularly bad order. I confess that I felt uncomfortable and a little ashamed.

I guess I will never be a Moitessier or RKJ for whom substance is much more important than style.

I love the substance, that is why I chose my particular boat. But the style makes it.

 

[Kukri]

Yes:

1969-71: "Kay", a Mumbles YC OD (very nice 18ft carvel Günter rigged centreboard dayboat - got from Mersea to Woodbridge and back with an ex Army groundsheet over the boom as a tent)
1971-73 Dragon DK6 "Arabis" (one of the original McGruer six built in in 1936 with a "long" coachroof)
1973-84 - "Mytica" - teak built 18ft pocket cruiser built in Ceylon in 47n- got to Holland and back etc.(she's currently for sale in Maldon btw)
1984 - last month - "Mirelle" - 37ft teak gaff cutter built by Whisstocks in 1937. Wonderful boat.
Just bought "Andromeda" - 26ft John Leather clinker gaff cutter built in 1965

I had a plastic tender once - hated the thing - built myself a proper clinker stem dinghy.

This is not counting a hot moulded Firefly and a cold moulded International Canoe, as they officially belong to my children.

 

[LittleSister]

Fairey Firefly (hot moulded wood dinghy), plus a year's loan/repair of an old ply Enterprise.

I wouldn't have the time, patience, skill or money to keep a wooden yacht going, but I admire those who do, and love to see them on the water.

A few years ago I was privileged to visit the workshop of Hunter's Yard on the Norfolk Broads (who run and hire out a fleet of wooden sailing boats) in the early spring, when they were finishing off and varnishing the fleet for the coming season. The smells and the sight was fantastic.

 

[Caer Urfa]

One of the happiest days of my life was when the first boat I ever bought was a 26' wooden motor cruiser in 1968.

The real happiest day of my life was the day I sold it !

Boy did it cost me some time and money to maintain !

Mike

 

[rjp]

Buchanan 32. Great boat, strong and seaworthy. Proved her worth this summer when I spent 3 months on her. N.Wales, Scotland, Outer Hebrides and back. Magic!

 

[James_Calvert]

9 ft clinker built praam. OK my dad bought it but I was let loose on the painting etc and ultimately looked after it until we replaced it with a bigger grp family boat (a 16ft With).
On the other hand, I bought an old ply Mirror dinghy, primarily for a daughter to sail. Whilst she did do much of the maintenance, the current restoration work is mainly down to me. (Fortunately I don't need my garage back just yet). But I confess that the wooden boats are rather the exception. Additionally we currently have three inflatables - two PVC, and the Tinker is Hypalon but with a wooden floor - a GRP sailing dinghy (Laser) - and a Sadler 32. Oh, and a totally plastic sailboard.

 

[Strathglass]

I do not count ply dinghies as wooden boats although I have owned 3 wooden enterprises, 4 wooden GP14's, 2 mirrors.

BUT I have owned an Alfred Milne 1 rater yellow pine on oak that was a real boat, Built in 1898 a Tay sea bird 'osprey' Yellow pine on oak.

I fully rebuilt her - new deck beams, new deck (larch canvased), replaced keel bolts, new floors (laminated oak), 50% of ribs replaced, every plank below the waterline removed and re-riveted, new spruce mast, new sails.

She was a superb boat to sail but I had to pass her on. I wish I still owned her. My present boat is a 33ft lead keeled masthead ketch which I built from a bare grp hull. A nice craft but not as good to sail as my old one rater.