Early Heron dating

an area to discuss dinghy developments
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Vintagent
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:14 pm

Early Heron dating

Post by Vintagent »

My son (and I) has purchased a wooden Heron, sail number 378 in usable condition; just needing buoyancy bags for safety (see wanted on this site).
I estimate build date between 1953 to 1955, can anyone give a precise date?
Regards
Doug
SoggyBadger
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:39 pm
Location: Staffordshire

Re: Early Heron dating

Post by SoggyBadger »

The Heron was launched in 1951(originally as the 'Yachting World Car-top Dinghy') and I know that sail numbers had reached 2000 by 1959 so that's somewhere between 200 and 300 boats per year. If it's a professionally built boat, I'd say 1953 at the absolute latest. If it's an amateur built boat it may have taken some time to complete and the sail number may have been issued long before the boat was finished.

Please don't skimp on the buoyancy bags. I know a new set of bags will set you back about £200 but it really is worth it. Around 270 kg/litres is advised.

For what it's worth my own Heron is even more confusing because although it's clearly a very old boat it wasn't registered with a sail number until after the Millennium so has a sail number in the 10,000s!
Best wishes


SB
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