Oughtred Articles - Duck Flat Wooden Boats
Oughtred Articles - Duck Flat Wooden Boats
Oughtred Articles - Duck Flat Wooden Boats
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NEVER MIND<br />
THE QUALITY,<br />
FEEL THE WIDTH<br />
Three Iain <strong>Oughtred</strong> designs of much<br />
the same length and profile but each<br />
with a different beam...<br />
14<br />
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It's funny how the memory of seeing the colour drain from<br />
someone's face doesn't leave you and obviously Chez<br />
remembers it as well - because he's still looking a little<br />
pasty when we meet again at Keyhaven Sailing Club. It was<br />
11 years ago when he nearly keeled over after a particularly<br />
hairy boat test in this little harbour. The wind was gusting<br />
from all directions and I had just narrowly missed crashing the<br />
brand new test boat into a large moored object, while Chez<br />
stood beside the rather anxious owner on the beach. Then to<br />
cap it all, back on shore I took off my foul weather gear and<br />
revealed that I was 7 months pregnant. At that point he did<br />
turn a rather alarming shade of white….<br />
So here we are again, all those years later; he's still looking<br />
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...Brian Pearson invited Alice Driscoll<br />
to ‘compare and contrast.’<br />
With photographs by Peter Chesworth<br />
quite pale – I learned later that he'd spent the night locally<br />
with some good friends; that might explain something – and<br />
I've now got the bump standing beside me as a keen crew with<br />
her younger brother who's throwing stones into the water.<br />
Aware that I've got three boats to test, two children on hand,<br />
and one report to write, I've also invited a non-sailing but keen<br />
to have a go friend along for the day.<br />
Having put off this test for several months because the<br />
weather had been so appalling all summer, we are blessed with<br />
a beautiful sunny day and a light breeze. It's great to see how<br />
appealing Keyhaven looks in this light: the little beach is the<br />
perfect place to line up the boats and the sailing club offers<br />
perfect hospitality through member Brian Pearson.<br />
15
Brian has been the driving force in getting us all together,<br />
and it's nice to meet someone who gets such genuine<br />
enjoyment from Iain <strong>Oughtred</strong>’s range of traditionally-inspired<br />
boats. Brian has set me a challenge: there are three similarlysized<br />
boats between 13'6” and 15'1” (4.1-4.6m) but with<br />
significantly different beams. The Acorn 15 represents “Oar &<br />
Sail” with her 3’10 ½” (1.18m). The Tammie Norrie reverses the<br />
priorities; she’s “Sail & Oar”with a beam of 4'5 ½” (1.36m). The<br />
Gannet is pure “Sail” with a beam of 5'8” (1.73m). My task is<br />
to sail all three boats and demonstrate their dfferences. The<br />
reason, he explains, is that all too often a boat buyer will fix<br />
on the desired length of boat but until one sails in a variety of<br />
different boats, it's easy to underestimate the difference the<br />
boat’s width and hull form makes to the stability, performance<br />
and practical use of the craft.<br />
16<br />
Acorn 15 Skiff<br />
Length: 15'1” (4.58m)<br />
Beam: 3’10 1/2” (1.18m)<br />
Weight: 130lbs (60kg)<br />
Sail area: 60 sq ft (5.57m 2 )<br />
Oar & Sail<br />
I am immediately struck by how different each boat looks.<br />
Iain <strong>Oughtred</strong> has a huge stable of beautiful dayboats – not<br />
forgetting canoes and cruisers – to choose from and it's<br />
lovely to see three very different designs all together here<br />
at Keyhaven. First there's the slimline Acorn 15. Owned by<br />
Richard Collinson, this beautiful light cream hulled clinker<br />
plywood boat was professionally built by George Hoad and<br />
she's elegant in every aspect, from her stunning finish to<br />
the hand-crafted oars. Richard explains that his great love is<br />
rowing, so he primarily wanted a rowing skiff but decided for<br />
flexibility that a sail would also be useful. Richard’s Acorn is<br />
kitted out with a balanced lug sail which transforms her from<br />
classic rowing skiff to classic sailing boat.<br />
The mast is easy to erect, and even easier to remove and<br />
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Facing & above: Slack bilges on an already narrow beam make<br />
the Acorn 15 a delight to row but she can also set an auxiliary lug<br />
or spritsail sin the right conditions.<br />
stow in the boat; which Richard demonstrates on the water<br />
when the dwindling wind makes it quicker for him to row up to<br />
Hurst Castle as we sail the other boats there. As a keen rower,<br />
Richard has had this boat equipped with everything he needs,<br />
including a proper foot rest, rowlocks and even a sculling oar.<br />
There are many little touches to enhance her beauty, including<br />
a superb wood-inlay compass rose on the aft thwart. Weighing<br />
an estimated 130 lbs (60 kg), this charming skiff not only looks<br />
beautiful but even I can manage a passable attempt at rowing<br />
her in a little preliminary outing.<br />
Sail & Oar<br />
With only 7” (175mm) more beam yet looking an entirely<br />
different boat, the Tammie Norrie belongs to Edward, Brian's<br />
son. I get confused when he says that the boat was originally<br />
built as a Grebe but later research on the very useful Classic<br />
Marine website reveals Iain has a tendency to rename his boats<br />
after he has made design changes over a period of time. This<br />
13'6” (4.11m) boat, called Brown Sugar, fits the 'in-between'<br />
slot: her narrow 4'5” (1.36m) beam means she can be rowed,<br />
assisted by that very shapely wineglass transom, reminiscent<br />
of the old Whitehalls in the USA. The added width ensures she<br />
is more stable than a pure rower and there's room for two to<br />
three adults; certainly one adult with two youngsters. Edward<br />
enjoys sailing her with his girlfriend Judy and her daughter<br />
Becky for weekend trips into the Solent. With a dying wind<br />
or very strong ebb tide, a Honda 2hp outboard will push<br />
her along back into the harbour. Edward even sails with the<br />
outboard still mounted on the transom and can easily row<br />
back upriver to the quay after an evening’s crabbing. “Neither<br />
Judy or Becky can swim well but they both love to go out<br />
in her as she's pretty stable and predictable. And as well as<br />
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growing their confidence, the girls think she looks picture<br />
perfect too,” said Edward.<br />
He has her kitted out with a gunter rig, making her easily<br />
recognisable to my daughter Libby who is used to rigging our<br />
Enterprise. The mainsail is hauled up quickly using a single<br />
halyard to the yard and jaws combined, Edward’s modification<br />
to enable him to hoist the sail quickly. Brown Sugar is built<br />
from 3 /8” (9mm) mahogany clinker ply, finished bright and<br />
there are little details – such as the open inwale – which<br />
add to her overall appearance. I take a momentary interest in<br />
something which looks like it could be a Gin & Tonic dispenser<br />
... but it turns out to be a bilge pump. There's plenty of room<br />
to stow the oars and you can see that the side benches have<br />
been extended forward to create more seating area. The<br />
centreboard looks easy to adjust and the lifting rudder comes<br />
complete with tiller extension. Up forward, there’s a small seat<br />
and we discover this is a useful small passenger area – but<br />
more about that later.<br />
Tammie Norrie<br />
Length: 13'6” (4.11m)<br />
Beam: 4'5½” (1.36m)<br />
Weight: 170 lbs (77kg)<br />
Sail area: 84 sq ft (7.8m²)<br />
17
Above & below left: A little more beam and somewhat firmer<br />
bilges allow the Tammie Norrie to carry a compact gunter rig.<br />
Below right & facing page: A true sailing boat: though the<br />
Gannet is only 7.5% longer than the Tammie Norrie, she is 22%<br />
wider,which makes her able to carry 40% more sail area.<br />
18<br />
Pure Sail<br />
So finally it's the turn of the Gannet, which is Brian's own<br />
boat, built by John Hall who is now in the process of building<br />
Iain <strong>Oughtred</strong>’s 11’9” (9.58m) Shearwater. Brian is concerned<br />
that some buyers of such traditional-style dayboats may be<br />
put off by the fear that a planing boat is a little tricky to<br />
handle. However, with the light winds we have today, I don't<br />
think there's going to be too much danger of getting anything<br />
up on the plane.<br />
Emma is 14'5” (4.40m) long and the most beamy of the<br />
three boats today at 5'8” (1.73m) wide. She looks a “big”<br />
capable sea boat, with lots of room for the family. She<br />
offers stability, responsiveness, speed and beauty in rare<br />
combination. Built from ¼” (6mm) Robbins marine ply, she<br />
has oak gunwales and an attractive light elm interior. The<br />
bottom boards are pine, also adding to the light and open look.<br />
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The foredeck is decked over one large buoyancy tank, with a<br />
second tank aft. The forward tank can be used for stowage and<br />
the comfortable looking side seats and thwarts make her ideal<br />
as a family dayboat. It's noticeable that Brian is keen on the<br />
racing side – I suspect there's some healthy competition with<br />
his son – as he's tweaked the sheeting angles on the jib to get<br />
her to point better upwind. The R&J sails look to set well on<br />
the gunter rig and the Classic Marine ropes not only look the<br />
part, they run easily and don't tear your hands to pieces.<br />
Gannet<br />
Length: 14'5” (4.4m)<br />
Beam: 5'8” (1.73m)<br />
Weight: 260 lbs (118 kg)<br />
Sail area: 118 sq ft (10.96m 2 )<br />
Afloat<br />
With the three very different looking boats lined up on the<br />
shore, the sun out and wind filling in, it's time for us to take<br />
our pick and get out on the water. My youngest, William, has<br />
never been very keen on sailing – something to do with me<br />
capsizing him in the Enterprise when he was about five, I think<br />
– but he's quick to have a go at being rowed in the Acorn.<br />
However, once we put the sail up, he changes his mind and<br />
decides he wants to stick with me. So I take both the children<br />
www.watercraft-magazine.com 19
in the Gannet, as that looks and – I guess – handles most<br />
like my Enterprise. Having got him into a boat – and we have<br />
had trouble getting him on to a cross channel ferry since that<br />
incident – I don't want to muck it up now. Helen, a complete<br />
beginner, gets into the Tammie Norrie with Brian, leaving<br />
Richard to sail his Acorn. Chez gets left behind and trudges off<br />
to catch the ferry with the tourists down to Hurst Castle.<br />
The Gannet is very stable as we set off. Libby, used to<br />
crewing the Enterprise, is quick to remark on the lack of<br />
jib cleats but soon adapts by using the rubber stops on the<br />
centreboard handle to make off the sheets.The main sets very<br />
well and the boat handles really nicely. I can see she would<br />
have plenty of get up and go in a breeze but I always feel that<br />
if you can make a boat sail effectively in light winds, then ease<br />
of handling in the heavier stuff follows on naturally. Richard<br />
starts off sailing in the Acorn but with the lack of wind, he<br />
soon takes down the mast, stows the sail in the boat and gets<br />
out his oars. There's something disheartening about being<br />
overtaken by a rower – and one who is rowing facing forward<br />
as well – but it's good to have him lead the way through the<br />
trots up to the sheltered bay behind Hurst Castle.<br />
Once there, we sail ashore onto the pebble beach and swap<br />
boats. William decides that throwing stones is more fun, so<br />
Libby and I set off in the Tammie Norrie. Despite being only<br />
1' (0.3m) shorter than the Gannet, she feels quite different.<br />
There's something I really like about her: that narrowness<br />
makes her feel very sprightly, yet she still has an inherent<br />
stability. We sail up and down, trying to create the perfect<br />
three boat sail past for Chez's photos and then I let Libby have<br />
a turn on the helm. The conditions are perfect, enabling her to<br />
tack and gybe happily in the calm waters. Helen, who has just<br />
had her first-ever sail, is hooked. The combination of Brian's<br />
calm teaching and a stable boat has got her on the point of<br />
asking for a club membership form!<br />
However, time is going on and I still have to have a go in<br />
the Acorn. I've already had a row in her and I know she's quite<br />
tippy; I can just envisage making a fool of myself in front of a<br />
ferry full of day trippers. Richard sets the rig up and I gingerly<br />
clamber in. There's a rather comfy looking cushion to sit on,<br />
and I soon work out how to lie back against the hull with the<br />
20<br />
padding in place. It's not too bad really, as long as I don't try<br />
to move. However, the water room isn't that big and I realise<br />
there's a directional change required. Tentatively I push the<br />
rudder over, the sail swings across and I slightly shift my<br />
weight, still keeping the padding in place. Quite easy really.<br />
Despite being very light and narrow, the Acorn surprises me<br />
with how smoothly she handles. Before long, I start gybing,<br />
feeling quite confident in my ability to manoeuvre her. I can<br />
imagine that before long, I too might be able to stand up and<br />
take the mast down, but before I even contemplate that, I am<br />
called into shore to start making our way back again.<br />
This time, the children and I take the Tammie Norrie, with<br />
Brian and Helen leading the way in the Gannet. The open<br />
cockpit makes the perfect den for William while Libby is keen<br />
to try out crewing in this boat when there's the hint of a race<br />
against the Gannet to get her motivated. Both boats make<br />
their way easily against the ebbing tide, with the increasing<br />
wind strength getting them heeling nicely. We do some close<br />
tacks against the line of moored boats, and I can see that both<br />
the Gannet and the Tammie Norrie are well set up for some<br />
competitive racing. There's a bit of a squeak from William as<br />
we get the boat on her ear in a gust but she's stable and feels<br />
forgiving and safe.<br />
Back to the little beach in front of Keyhaven Sailing Club,<br />
and there's a fleet of Lymington Scows heading out for a late<br />
afternoon potter, with a variety of crews and helms aged from<br />
about 7 to 70. It's lovely to see such a range of ages enjoying<br />
one sport. As we step back ashore, I can see that we too have<br />
a variety of requirements – from the rower to the keen racer,<br />
the mum to the slightly scared youngster, the up and coming<br />
crew to the novice eager to learn more – and I realise that this<br />
is the beauty of such a choice of boat sizes and shapes. The<br />
three designs tested today all look rather similar on paper but<br />
until you get them out on the water, you really wouldn't know<br />
which is right for you. I guess I'll just have to take all three.<br />
CONTACTS<br />
Iain <strong>Oughtred</strong>, Boat Designer, Struan Cottage, Bernisdale,<br />
Isle of Skye IV51 9NS Tel: +44 (0)1470 532732<br />
Plans may also be ordered online at: www.classicmarine.com<br />
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