Unknown dinghy

an area to discuss dinghy developments
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STEVEB
Posts: 247
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:07 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Unknown dinghy

Post by STEVEB »

Hi,
any idea what this is? it once had an N on the sail
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mermaiddi ... /74b2?i=16
Steve
STEVE
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MartinH
Posts: 101
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Location: West Wilts

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by MartinH »

As I'm not a member of that Yahoo group I can't see the pic. However, "N" is the sail marking for a National 12.
Martin
Grad 2146 FOR SALE
Nigel
Posts: 1238
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:51 am
Location: Thornbury SC, Bristol

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nigel »

Hi,

I joined the group just to see the pictures. It does not look anything like a National 12 to me.

Best guess at the moment is a Nymph. LOA 3.5m, Beam 1.07m. Sail area 4.65 sq m. The Nymph had an unstayed gunter rig. The design was published in Light Craft in 1965.

This is very speculative though based purely on the assumption that the name begins with "N" and the approximate measurements. I have not yet found a picture.

There seem to be a few other designs also called Nymph so if you do a web search, check the measurements also.

Nigel
Nessa
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Location: East Angular

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nessa »

According to my Sailing Dinghies of the World pub 1973:

Nipper: 12ft x 5ft2in with 110 sq ft sail in Bermudan sloop rig. Hull hard chine wood or GRP. Crew 2. Designer Ray Greene. Numbers 2500. General purpose boat with ample decks. Sailed throughout the USA.

Nymph: 11ft6in x 3ft6in with 50 sq ft sail in una gunter rig. Hull hard chine plywood. Crew 1 or 2. Designer P.W. Blandford. Numbers 900. Amateur construction sailing surfboard with foot well. Sailed mostly in Britain.

The logo for the Nipper is a simple lower case 'n' whereas the nymph logo is much more elaborate with twiddly bits. Unfortunately no photos of either.
The Peril
Agamemnon
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Nigel
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Location: Thornbury SC, Bristol

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nigel »

Hi Nessa,

I think your description is for the american Nipper. There is also a UK Nipper LOA 9ft 6. GRP, bermudan rig.

My only info on the Nymph is from http://uk.geocities.com/dinghydata/Nymph.htm but a web seach pulls up a diferent "Bolger" Nymph - a 7ft 9 in pram.

Too many dinghies not enough names :).

Nigel
davidh
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by davidh »

can someone copy a picture across?

D
David H
Nessa
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nessa »

Image
The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
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davidh
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by davidh »

now I know that this may sound a tad stupid (it went with being a 505 crew!) but...... shouldn't there be shrouds????????????????????????

D
David H
Nigel
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nigel »

Hi David,

that was partly what put my in the direction of the Nymph - unstayed gunter rig (and small sail area).

Nigel
Rupert
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Rupert »

The Blandford Nymph was a sailing surfboard.The hull looks (from what we can see) like a Curlew, with a Mirror main rigged on it?
Rupert
Nigel
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Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by Nigel »

Hi Rupert,

I could not find a picture of a Nymph it was just a leap of faith based upon the "N" and the length. Chat from yahoo reproduced below indicates it may be a bit too big to be a Curlew but to it does look very similar to pictures of one (apart from the mast stays)- http://uk.geocities.com/dinghydata/Curlew.htm

I think we need some accurate measurements.

Nigel


Hi there, don't know whether my sailing dinghy is a Mermaid or not,
indeed it was stated when bought in 1975 that it may have been pre-
second world war, but I suspect the 1950s/1960s as it was pretty old
then.

The hull shape looks very similar to the picture on the group and the
boat is about 10.5 to 11 foot long.

My boat has a Gunter Rig and the original sails had a simple 'N' with
no number on them, but these have disappeared over the years whilst
the dinghy has been in storage.

It is more open plan inside as well, having three thwarts, the most
forward one being connected to the centreboard case by an additional
piece of wood, adn the centre thwart being immediately adjacent to
the back of the centre board. Buoyancy was always by inflatable bags
rather than boxed in sections.

It has always been my goal to establish exactly what class the boat
is, and as I am now in the process of restoring her (she's nearly
finished) to her former glory, albeit with a set of sails from a
Mirror dinghy which are considerabley larger; especially the jib, it
would be nice to race her at the club, especially with the extra
power the increased sail area will bring. I am having to use the
Gaff from the Mirror modified to make the effective mast total length
longer as well but am using the original dinghy's own mast and boom.

The Mermaid looks as if apartfrom interior fittings, it matches
almost exactly, but would like to here from any members of this group
who may have more information.

I've owned the dinghy since I was 11 and I am now 44 years old, so
it's been a big part of my life really and as I taught myself to sail
in her, I would never part with her even though I've had many other
boats in the meantime.
CJR1100
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:57 pm

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by CJR1100 »

Not a Curlew, as two rowing positions
Chris Roberts
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stotty
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:28 am
Location: France

Re: Unknown dinghy

Post by stotty »

hi there
pics of nymph can be found using the link

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i252/ ... 0125-1.jpg

more pics available
this is my boat currently in france!
salut
tony s
Mirror, GP14(x2), Seadog, Blandford Nymph, and Pegasus awaiting complete rebuild!
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