Brilleau

We went aboard Brilleau twenty years ago when Erica and I had just returned from the Caribbean and were still living aboard Blue Clipper and trying to get back into a normal working life. She was built buy the owner, who was I recall a local GP to a design by Nick Skeates.

I though she was one of the best offshore cruising boats I'd ever been on, small by modern standards at only 32 feet, the design and construction are so practical and effective for short handed, offshore sailing.

I might be confusing this boat as it was a longtime ago, but I think the enormous hatch was so a small motorbike could be stored in the fore peak.

A few years ago we were sitting outside Dartmouth Castle looking at the vista as Brilleau sailed effortlessly through the spectacular Dart entrance.

A little light humor

This always makes me smile when I row past.

Satellite

Satellite is new to the river, I though perhaps it might be that I haven't been rowing much during the bad weather, but I found the build blog which is a great read, and she has indeed just been launched

She's a Gollant Gaffer designed by Robert Dongray, who is famous for the original Cornish Crabber and many boats in their range including my own Cormorant "Tosh".

The Gollant Gaffer, presumably named after the village up the Fowey River is a lovely pocket cruiser, day sailer, although I recall one owner made an epic voyage across Europe I think to the Bosphorus.

Congratulations to the builder (sorry can't find his name on the blog) I'm sure she's going to be lots of fun.

There's a nice one for sale on brokerage with Wooden Ships.

Length on Deck 18’9″
Length Waterline 17’9″
Beam 7′
Draft 2’9″
Displacement 1500kg

Somewhere ....

...over the rainbow.

Just occasionally you're in the right place at the right time, possibly with the wrong camera, but two out of three ain't bad.

HOD

Hamble One Design spotted for sale over in Emsworth and looking very nice. the classs was I believe built by Luke & Sons in their yard just upriver from the Royal Southern YC.

For sale and for a 105 year old boat not looking bad. Apparently the lines and construction drawings of Jess an HOD  including description appeared in Yachting Monthly, June 1913 page 165 if you can find a copy.

A little hard to read, she's called Dulcie. With those lines and deep keel I imagine she's a delight to sail in the often choppy Solent waters.

Birdham gaffers

I always like to cycle through Bridham Pool boat yard in Chichester harbour as there are inevitable a few interesting boats around or even for sale.

Calumet if one such example, designed and built by McMillan Yachts in the 1990's she has undergone an extensive restoration by Tim Gilmore's Dolphin Quay Boatyard and is looking fantastic.

On the same pontoon is the curiously named Black Lady, a well known classic 1948 gaff rig cutter, built by Birdham Shipyard of pitch pine on oak frames below water, mahogany above water. Despite the name she looks fine with blue topsides.

OK not a gaffer but an interesting classic from Malden on the east coast and up for sale.

Bargain

Get afloat aboard your own yacht for £500.

The 19 foot Prelude is by all accounts a nice little pocket yacht, designed by Ian Proctor and originally built by Ridgeway Marine and later by Pegasus, they were one of many small yachts designed and built in the 1970's. Inevitably at 19 feet it would be wise to choose weather carefully and reef early, but at £500 this would make someone a great little day boat or weekend cruiser for not a lot of money.


Principal Dimensions
LOA 19'3'' (5.86m)
LWL 17'0'' (5.18m)
Beam 6'10 (2.09m)
Weight: Approx. 750 Kg (1650 Lbs)