Classic_Boat_2016-02

CCraftsmanshipraftsmanship

Edited by Steffan Meyric Hughes: +44 (0)207 349 3758

Email: [email protected]

TIMBER

Vendia, the Finnish

marine plywood

manufacturer, is back

in business due to an

increase in demand,

much to the delight

of our own columnist

Adrian Morgan

(‘Building Bob’,

CB328). It is the only

plywood he seems to

approve of, being

sliced rather than

roto-cut for a more

‘wood-like’ character,

and available in many

different sizes. See

vendia.fi to learn

more. Meanwhile,

John Lammerts van

Beuren of the Dutch

firm Touchwood has

expanded his facility

in Alaska to keep

harvesting the best

Sitka spruce (in

lengths up to 40ft

/12.2m). John, a keen

sailor, has supplied

timber to many of

the world's classic

yachts. See

sitkaspruce.nl

The flag for a great new project was raised at Ventis yard in Enkhuizen, Holland,

as it received the order to build a 56ft (17.1m) yawl designed in 1954 by Sparkman

& Stephens, reports John Lammerts van Beuren. Originally commissioned by

James Farrell and built at Abeking & Rasmussen, Impala comes from the line of

amazingly pretty, fast and seaworthy yawls for which Olin Stephens was

famously known, and which are currently enjoying such a strong revival in

classic yacht racing. The original Impala is still going strong and cruises the

coasts of Europe, however, a friend of the owner was so enchanted with the

yacht that he discussed building a sister ship; and so it happened. The plans

were ordered from S&S in New York and Ventis was selected as the builder. Her

hull will be cold-moulded in quarter-sawn Alaska yellow cedar, she will however

maintain her original flotation and weight distribution. The keel will be laid in

January 2016 with an anticipated build time of about 18 months.

Yard News

C/O JOHN LAMMERTS VAN BEUREN

REBEKAH GILBERT

C/O JIM HORGAN

More like this at classicboat.co.uk/category/yard-news

IRELAND

Budget Shannon One

Design takes silver

RYE, EAST SUSSEX

A fishing boat mystery

NETHERLANDS

New S&S yawl to start build

This Shannon One Design was built by Jim Horgan

and Henry Birmingham and launched in May 2015.

The SOD is a Morgan Giles design from 1920, 18ft

(5.5m) long and gunter-rigged. This example was

built of Irish spruce on an American oak keel and

ribs with mahogany thwarts and knees.

"The Shannon One Design Association were

very doubtful about the project initially," says Jim

Horgan. "These were only students and might

lower standards, but they let us use the design, as

long as we would allow three inspections. They

were built to maximum specifications in native

spruce and are therefore stronger and springier."

The build cost just €2,000 (c£1,450) without rig.

SOD 171 was launched last year on Lough Corrib

and has already won three trophies.

First-time restorer Dr Rebekah Gilbert has been

trying to identify her boat, 32ft (9.8m) long and

built of pine on oak frames with an elm transom.

Broker Peter Gregson guesses that the boat is

“probably Breton. The shape of the transom and

bilge is the giveaway. Many Breton boats were

sold to the West Country in the mid-60s after the

collapse of the Breton fishing industry. The

post-war boats were very different to the pre-war

ones: much cheaper to build and with great

carrying capacity. From the look of the various

bilge timbers there appear to be forward and

(larger) aft engine beds. I would guess that she

was built with a small engine forward and for

hauling pots. She then had a bigger engine fitted

for trawling. In both cases, she would have been

decked with a small pill-box wheelhouse aft.”