Yachting World 5-Tonner.....mine...Janina of Dorset

[Plum]

There is one YW-5 tonner "Joëlle" listed on the OGA boat register OGA - index

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Tranona]

Know that boat well. The photos show Stuart Welford, son of the original builder. The family owned it all its life up to about 4 years ago. Kept in Poole Yacht Club, berthed opposite my berth. As can be seen kept in tip top condition and used extensively.

 

[Old Thady]

Hearing of yachts being built in the late 1940s raises some questions in my uninformed mind. It wasn't long since the war had ended and there must have been great demand for timber and other things for use in reconstruction. Were there government controls on the use of materials for projects which might have seemed frivolous in the eyes of non-sailors? Perhaps there was a leisure quota for morale purposes? Perhaps yards had to pay extra for black market materials and fittings? Does anyone know if this was an issue and, if so, how did they manage it?

 

[Wansworth]

Hearing of yachts being built in the late 1940s raises some questions in my uninformed mind. It wasn't long since the war had ended and there must have been great demand for timber and other things for use in reconstruction. Were there government controls on the use of materials for projects which might have seemed frivolous in the eyes of non-sailors? Perhaps there was a leisure quota for morale purposes? Perhaps yards had to pay extra for black market materials and fittings? Does anyone know if this was an issue and, if so, how did they manage it?

There is or was always comments that a boat was built pre war indicating that wood condition was superior Interesting question but I feel the forum membership is not that oldtoremember

 

[wombat88]

Very early post war Firefly dinghies had aluminium foredecks due to a shortage of ply. The agba(?) used in their moulded construction was readily available due to its use in the aircraft industry.

I dimly remember being told that '40s N12s etc from Jack Holt could be found with what appeared to be an unnecessary joints in the longer planks due to a shortage of wood in longer lengths.

 

[Wansworth]

I imagine that yards would still have the mounds for yachts and a collection of fittings and obviously the manpower ready to return to yacht building and suppliers would have the moulds for cast fittings etc

 

[Tranona]

Hearing of yachts being built in the late 1940s raises some questions in my uninformed mind. It wasn't long since the war had ended and there must have been great demand for timber and other things for use in reconstruction. Were there government controls on the use of materials for projects which might have seemed frivolous in the eyes of non-sailors? Perhaps there was a leisure quota for morale purposes? Perhaps yards had to pay extra for black market materials and fittings? Does anyone know if this was an issue and, if so, how did they manage it?

Yes, there was a shortage of wood for all sorts of reasons, but equally other avenues opened up such as the use of plywood and laminations which had been developed in the war. There was also quite a lot of stock "hidden" during the war and reclaimed timber from scrappage. Very few new boats were actually built in the years after the war, not just because of lack of materials but lack of demand in those austerity times.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I recall seeing a Giles cartoon in a 1950's annual that was about the lifting of restrictions on selling timber. They lasted quite a while after the war - the date I've found is 1953.

 

[Wansworth]

I recall seeing a Giles cartoon in a 1950's annual that was about the lifting of restrictions on selling timber. They lasted quite a while after the war - the date I've found is 1953.

Giles cartoon family were keen yachtsmen including the granny

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Giles cartoon family were keen yachtsmen including the granny

Unfortunately, the cartoon I recall wasn't a yachting one! It portrayed a "little man" going into a woodyard, and a bloke at the bottom of a tall ladder up a gigantic stack of wood was yelling up to another bloke at the top "Another one wants 20 feet of 2 by 4 with no knots!" But as with all Giles cartoons, a description in words doesn't do it justice; of course, I remember it because it was funny!

I should say I don't remember it from its original publication - I would only have been about a year old!

 

[Wansworth]

Now the woodman drives a forklift and nothing is too much trouble bring down a ton of wood for my plank

 

[debenriver]

Yes, there was a shortage of wood for all sorts of reasons, but equally other avenues opened up such as the use of plywood and laminations which had been developed in the war. There was also quite a lot of stock "hidden" during the war and reclaimed timber from scrappage. Very few new boats were actually built in the years after the war, not just because of lack of materials but lack of demand in those austerity times.

I don't know - Whisstocks built 57 boats for private owners between the end of 1945 and 1949. Some were sailing dinghies; quite a few motor launches; fishing boats; 15 Deben 4-tonners; and at least 7 larger boats (22' -35'). This compares with about 200 builds in the war years for the Admiralty, War Office etc.

Cheers -- George

 

[VickyP]

Hi I have a yachting world 5 tonner Dynamene. rescued her in 2009 relaunched 2011 and gives great pleasure sails like a dream. she is moored in Ipswich. built in 1947 by Pwllheli Marine company - with some very good teak and mahogany - perhaps stashed away somewhere during the war.

 

[JaninaofDorset]

Hi I have a yachting world 5 tonner Dynamene. rescued her in 2009 relaunched 2011 and gives great pleasure sails like a dream. she is moored in Ipswich. built in 1947 by Pwllheli Marine company - with some very good teak and mahogany - perhaps stashed away somewhere during the war.

brilliant...have you any photos to share?

 

[JaninaofDorset]

I made an account just to reply to this (I am very excited by this)
I own and am currently restoring a yachting world five tonner on the river dart (out of water) in Devon
she is called south wind and was built in 1947 in Essex and is a bemudan rig model with bumpkin and running backstays
I am very excited to find another one near by, I would be very interested in discussing more if you ever wanted to, I have a collection of articles, reviews and general collection of all sorts regarding the class which you may be interested in.
I was also looking to find another yachting world five tonner to look at in order to aid my restoration in terms of design and original features which the plans seem more vague about, and general layout etc.
I am so thrilled to find a fellow enthusiast
kind regards

few photos i am currently berthed in Maryport marina cumbria...live aboard on my other bigger boat...still few items to sort...always my mob is 07361517096 david

 

[JaninaofDorset]

Hearing of yachts being built in the late 1940s raises some questions in my uninformed mind. It wasn't long since the war had ended and there must have been great demand for timber and other things for use in reconstruction. Were there government controls on the use of materials for projects which might have seemed frivolous in the eyes of non-sailors? Perhaps there was a leisure quota for morale purposes? Perhaps yards had to pay extra for black market materials and fittings? Does anyone know if this was an issue and, if so, how did they manage it?

i suppose if you are a high ranking military officer they could get away with it...Janina is built with double diagonal burmese teak etc. by a Colonel in Bombay ...i suppose boats of the time had moved to steel...

 

[PeterWright]

Hearing of yachts being built in the late 1940s raises some questions in my uninformed mind. It wasn't long since the war had ended and there must have been great demand for timber and other things for use in reconstruction. Were there government controls on the use of materials for projects which might have seemed frivolous in the eyes of non-sailors? Perhaps there was a leisure quota for morale purposes? Perhaps yards had to pay extra for black market materials and fittings? Does anyone know if this was an issue and, if so, how did they manage it?

During the 1939-45 war, most of the UK's boatyards were employed by the Admiralty building the wooden ships boars for the navy, principally 28 foot whalers and 32 foot cutters, which formed the majority of naval shos boats in those days. This work was deemed so important that boatbuilder was a protected job, which preventedvthe holder being dfafted into the forces. A few yards were employed building bigger wooden naval craft such as motor patrol and torpedo boats.
No self respecting boat builder would build from unseasoned timber - it was normal to buy hardwood a tree at a time cut into planksthen stacked together with laths between the planks to let the air circulate. Any boatyard would have a shed with a waterproof roof but well ventilated sides for seasoning and the cut trees would be stored for between 3 and 5 years in there before being released for use.

As a result, when the Admiralty cancelled all their contracts at the end of the war, the yards still had their stock of timber, apart from plywood which needs no seasoning but had no customers - the hunt was on and was partly responsible for ghe post war boom in dinghy sailing and yachting. Fairey marine, as has been saiid were using timber purchased for building planes to make Fireflies Albacores and the great Fairey motor boats well represented on this board. The boom in plywood dinghies had to wait a few years and cllinker dinghies ruled for a while. My grandfather's Ipswich yard went back to open rowing skiffs and the open clinker sailing dinghies they had buillt before the war. Availability of plywood had to wait until the early 1950's when we were swamped with new designs from the relatively staid GP14 to the much hairier Hornet, complete with sliding seat. Of course, after that came grp which today rules the roost, but that's beyond the scope of this board.

Peter.