Anniversary looming
112 CLASSIC BOAT AUGUST 2016LETTERS
I would be grateful for your assistance in
the context of a small wooden sailing
boat called Valinda, which was owned by
my father. The boat has been mothballed
since about 1975, in a garden at the back
of Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, and is in a
very sorry condition, as can be seen from
the attached photographs.
The boat is 21ft (6.4m) long overall,
with a 6ft 6in (1.9m) beam and a draught
of 2ft 9in (0.8m). It was built in 1949 by
Graham Brothers of Dunoon and is a
Pixie class Bermudian Sloop.
The hull is of^5 / 8 th thick mahogany
(carvel) over steam-bent ash frames 1in x(^7) / 8 th in at 7½ in centres, whilst the stem
and keel are of English oak.
There is a 4hp Stuart Turner engine
which was fitted new in 1958. Spars seem
to be missing, but a suit of sails is in sail
bags but of doubtful condition.
The net value of the boat in its present
condition is virtually zero. If someone
could be found who will commit
themselves to the full restoration, we
would be willing for them to take the
boat away free of charge. Otherwise this
pretty little boat will have to be burnt, as
the house is being sold.
Tony Weber, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Please take care
of pretty Valinda
Small but
beautiful
Nice to see the
editor shining a
light on some of
the lesser known
restoration
projects, those
that don’t require a
Swiss bank
balance in order to
pay the yard. I
have always found
your Yard News
and Craftsmanship
section the most
fascinating for me
personally, since I
own an elderly
Folkboat (aren’t
they all) and
maintain her
myself. Still, it
amazes me the
number of
impressive wooden
boats being turned
out by amateur
builders and
restorers. I
suppose, to
misquote Mr
Grahame, there
really is nothing
like messing
about with old
boats.
Jeremy Hughes
What does this brass mark mean?
I am having restored (by Richard Welch of Christian Malford) a clinkerbuilt 15ft
motor launch. What’s always puzzled me is the mark on the brass prow. As you
can see it is ‘WB’ with an arrow reminiscent of War Department signs. The boat
(I think) spent many years in Dorset and was originally a dinghy, but was
motorised when I bought it with a Stuart Turner. I’ve tried the Imperial War
Museum and the National Maritime Museum but no luck. Any ideas?
Trevor Turpin, Avoncliff, Wiltshire
The early years of this century are richly blessed with
significant nautical anniversaries. But there is one hugely
significant bicentenary in the not-too-distant offing to
which I haven’t yet spotted a single reference: to wit the
Battle of Navarino in 1827. This, of course, was the last
occasion upon which two full fleets of wooden warships,
totally dependent upon sail, went head to head. As the
Royal Navy’s last ‘fleet action’ before Jutland, it really
should be better known, and from a CB readership point
of view at least, it should be borne in mind that the Earl of
Yarborough’s private yacht Falcon played a significant
part in the action! Sure, Falcon was in effect a small
frigate (or at least a Sloop of War) but that just tells us a
great deal about the nature of yachting at the time. Only
a certain type of English gentleman who just happened to
be holidaying in a war zone at the time would
contemplate joining in and ‘doing his bit’! 2027 may seem
a while off yet, but if anyone wants to do something
serious about this anniversary (such as build a replica of
Falcon and sail her to the scene of the action) they’ve got
just eleven years to get on with it. Sadly I’m in no position
to sponsor such a venture, but life and health permitting,
I’ll gladly sign up for the voyage!
Jeremy Muldowney, York
SHEILA MORTON-JONES