Boat of unknown parentage!

[timbomford]

Good morning. 1st post from me so thankyou for having me here!

I'm trying to work out what this boat is, so I can market her.
I've been told it's a Scow style of dinghy, but there are so many (and local also to the south coast where I am)
Its been in our boathouse in the Scillies all my life, has not seen water in at least 42 years! Possibly from the 1950's or earlier but now its here on the mainland.
An expert to came and had a look. Thinks it belonged to a bigger boat by the lifting areas fitted and the non-folding rudder.
Sails are re manufactured and mast looks non original (aluminium)
Plaque in rear mentions supplied by a company in Burnham (see pic)
Its an interesting little boat but I already have the Enterprise so its not likely I'd have time to restore or sail her.





















Any pointers as to the make/model/ rough year and potential value would be most welcome.

Best wishes

Tim

[Michael Brigg]

As you have noted, the boat has a very conventional Scow shape to it and could be from anywhere, but given the builders plate from Burnham on sea, it is likely to be from the Bristol estuary area.

A history of Burnham on sea notes that there was an artificial boating lake on the esplanade, and it is entirely possible this may have originated from the hire fleet of rowing boats . Since adapted to sailing rig. It looks to have ample seating given its size, suggesting a role more as a pleasure boat than a sailing dinghy.


The sailing club at B on sea is titled Burnham on Sea Motor Boat and Sailing Club. The similarity in name to the maker suggests there may be a close link to the boats ancestry. Perhaps it is worth contacting their comodore for any information?

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/burnhamsaili ... index.html.

[jpa_wfsc]

In the late 70's there were about 6 boats _very_ like these at the Island Cruising Club in Salcombe for training. With Galvanised Steel Centreboards. They had a gunter rig, and were probably just typical South Coast small boats.

[Nessa]

Also try contacting the boat museum at Watchet

http://Www.wbm.org.uk

[alan williams]

Hi
The boats at Island S.C I believe were Mayflower One Designs, designed for the now defuctced Mayflower S.C.When the fleet fell apart (they moved on to Albacores a big class in Plymouth in the sixties and seventies with several serial National Champs sailing them), the boats were sold to schools and sailing schools as they were easy to handle, had no vices and were very seaworthy. At the present time a Mayflower is being restored in Plymouth.
Designed I think by Alex Blagdon owner of Blagdons boat yard Plymouth. They were clinker built 14 footers with 100sqft of sail, open decked. Several where also sailed at the Royal Marines Music School which I think was located at Dover. When I started to sail with Mayflower S.C. in the very late sixties there was class racing with about a dozen boats turning out. Several boats in the class sported coloured sails made either locally by Clements at Richmond Walk Stonehouse Plymouth or by Jeckells. I last saw a Mayflower sailing at Salcombe in the late 70's when taking part in a Hornet Open.
Cheers Al

[Michael4]

It seems un-scowlike to me, very flat bottomed, the way that the ribs rise up to the hog suggest this (or perhaps something has gone a bit iffy)

[Nessa]

The flat bottom isn't at all surprising for a Bristol Channel boat. Weston is famously known locally as Weston super Mud and Burnham is no better. The Watcher boat museum has an example of a Watcher Flatner, a boat purpose built to be dragged across the mud and sailed across shallow mudflats, with centreboard mounted on the side like the Dutch Barges. Follow the link to the museum and look up the local boats, especially the Weston boat.

http://www.wbm.org.uk/boatshistory.html

[timbomford]

Sorry for the radio silence my end, been at a car show at the NEC.
Thanks for the replies so far.
I'm not at all convinced its an ex-rowing boat as the centreboard casing etc is all original looking as is the underside. Seating arrangement has been guessed that it was made this way from new as some sort of boat to use to take the ladies out in, away from the bigger boat it was launched from, the equivalent of going cruising for todays yoof!
Doesnt look like a Mayflower to me, totally different.
The boats not been squashed down and its flat bottom has no breaks on the (dont know the correct term sorry) ribs that run from side to side.
Its very old as Mum remembers is being taken to the IOS in the 50's. I've been going since the 70's and its never left the boathouse in my time there.

[Rupert]

There is more than one Mayflower - can't comment on whether one looks like this, but worth checking you looked at the right one.

[SingTheNightSong]

if you can find the Jeckells sail numbers (on or around their ID Marks) - Jeckells have records that go back a long way - they MAY be able to tell you what the Dinghy is??
peter (SingTheNightSong) (Ent 110 and 8539)

[timbomford]

if you can find the Jeckells sail numbers (on or around their ID Marks) - Jeckells have records that go back a long way - they MAY be able to tell you what the Dinghy is??
peter (SingTheNightSong) (Ent 110 and 8539)

Thankyou Peter, I emailed them and the museum mentioned earlier but no response as yet.

[alan williams]

Hi Rupert
The only other Mayflower class that I know off was the Mayflower Restricted class the last of which was broken up in 1973.
Cheers Alan

[timbomford]

The sails bag has the number 40424 on it, but cant see anything obvious on the sails.
The bag of course can easily be a red herring, but have just spoken to Chris at Jeckell's who has helpfully agreed to look at the pictures.
Best wishes
Tim

[Rupert]

Hi Rupert
The only other Mayflower class that I know off was the Mayflower Restricted class the last of which was broken up in 1973.
Cheers Alan

I was assuming you were referring to a different one, as the boat looks nothing like the Mayflowers down at Noss mayo.

[timbomford]

I have found the number 230 etched or stencilled on the inside of the stern during the week.
It's been suggested that the boat may be part of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club scow fleet but according to the database no 230 is accounted for.
Again I emailed them but no reply! Does anyone answer their emails?!