DAWN
problems that needed graving pieces,” says Massey. The
more he looked, the more damage he found. “The deck
beam under the windlass was rotten and so was a large
section of the foredeck in the same area. Although there
were no major problems to be found with the rest of the
deck, because of the issues with the fore and aft sections,
we decided the whole deck should be replaced. Once the
deck was removed we could see that two-thirds of the
deck beams were in a bad way, including the two main
beams that support the mast.”
There was more to come: most of the starboard cabin
side, cockpit coaming and the carlin which supports the
half beams on that side, all had to be replaced. The aft
end of the cockpit also had to be renewed. The port side
had faired better, so that needed much less work.
The job was a bigger undertaking than either Reid
or Massey had envisaged. The teak decking was not
original and since neither of them knew at that time
what kind of deck it had in the first place, and since
Reid was keen to have the work done for the
Squadron’s 200th anniversary, they opted for plywood
epoxy sheathed decking.
Toe rails, cappings and rubbing strakes were
replaced in the same style as they had found them,
although galvanised fairleads were replaced with
semi-sunk bronze ones. Chainplates were also renewed
in galvanised steel and the bowsprit arrangement was
redesigned to be more in keeping with the style of the
boat. A new boom, gaff, mizzen mast and mizzen
boom were also fitted with renewed standing and
running rigging. “What started out as a relatively small
job turned in to a voyage of discoveries,” says Massey.
Reid is pleased, nonetheless. “There are some
marvellous skills down in Cornwall,” he says.
Today the voyage continues as more of her history
emerges. As we scramble around the deck, I’m
surprised at the narrowness of the profile. This was one
of the attractions for Reid. “She has a great balance
and she’s easy to sail with two of us,” he says.
Canoe yawls are sailors’ boats, beloved because of
their stability and sharp profiles that really do cut
through the waves. But they don’t lend themselves to
family cruising. On this boat, with length on deck just
over 34ft, two’s company, three’s a complement and
four’s a crowd. The deck housing allows us to walk
upright below but there are only two bunks, one either
side of the gangway, with space, originally, for a narrow
folding table. In its original build the boat had a cot in
the forepeak with a commode opposite a Wright and
Butler stove on gimbals. Today the forepeak is fitted with
a trusty Baby Blake head. Stern space? Forget it. On a
canoe yawl the stern tapers as it does in an open
Canadian canoe from where the design draws its
inspiration. The secret to her manoeuvrability is Dawn’s
mizzen mast. In a big blow all the crew need do is reef
down the mainsail, using a roller-reefing arrangement,
and she will progress safely with jib and mizzen sails.
As we looked over the boat in early autumn there
were still doubts about her original configuration.
Massey himself was not sure that a mizzen mast was part
of the original design. “It just didn’t seem like it should
have been there,” he said. But an article from the July
1906 issue of Yachting Monthly unearthed by CB’s
technical editor Theo Rye cleared up any doubt.
There in the plan sits the mizzen mast, tiller indented
to accommodate the mast.
One other mystery was also solved. The original
deck was kauri pine with teak deck work. The article
describes her as “handy under any combination of sails
and, considering her heavy displacement (8.2 tons) and
small sail, has a very fair turn of speed”. That’s
reassuring news as Julian is still facing that voyage
south to Spain. Today she’s wintering in Lallow’s yard
where she’s being fitted with a new Volvo engine.
After all, every canoe needs its paddle.Julian Reid’s book, Original Members of The Yacht Club
can be purchased from the Royal Yacht Squadron, price
£25, or email: Julian [email protected]Left: Fitted
fairlead in new
toe rail; Andrew
Massey at work;
the new
laminated stern.
Below: Julian and
wife Rexi at the
Royal Yacht
Squadron 200th
anniversary
celebrations last
year in Cowes