IOTA

Some ten years ago*, I was looking for a pretty, traditional-looking 11 footer that would both row and sail well.  Although there are some good designs readily available for predominantly rowing or sailing craft, few seem to combine well the dual function: the rowing craft tend to have sharply rising floors and thus tend to be rather tender; whilst the sailing boats are too beamy and too full-bodied to be a pleasure to row any distance, particularly in choppy waters.  In addition, a ‘U’ shaped full-bowed craft is often slow and wet to windward under sail in any weight of wind if driven hard.  And I was looking for a boat that would sail as well as any contemporary racing dinghy – a large slow boat may be acceptable and useful if you are not racing, but a slow small boat is nothing but aggravating.

It was then that I turned to Chapelle’s ‘Boatbuilding’.  I had often admired the unnamed 10 foot rowing and sailing dinghy, but had felt that it was a little too small; yet it had much that I desired: the sharp entry at the waterline, but with a full, flaring bow for reserve buoyancy; moderate beam and deadrise for rowing, but with a straight line in the rise of floor and hard turn to the bilge – much harder than most dinghies – amidships and aft, guaranteed to produce stiffness under sail once heeled a few degrees.  So…

Having set out the sections a few inches further apart, I relofted the boat, flaring out the midsection to avoid the tumblehome there and relofted the stem.  The forward waterlines were filled out slightly, though the hollow in the waterlines forward was kept.  The resulting boat is a little longer, slightly wider and somewhat more powerful than the original.

A few other changes were made: a foil-shaped daggerboard replaces the low aspect ratio centreboard in the interests of better windward ability, making the boat lighter to handle ashore and giving a little more room inside.  The rudder was changed to a high aspect ratio lifting pattern for better control in rough water and ease in beaching.  The rig, too, was changed: the mast, whilst remaining unstayed was increased in both diameter and length to take a new balanced-lug rig of some 60 square feet instead of the low aspect triangular sail.  Construction details were changed to suit glued-clinker planking and some steamed oak ribs were riveted in for extra stiffness, strength and looks – as there were to be no floorboards to add unnecessary weight or to hide the mud, grime and grit which are the lot of a racing dinghy on an ex-gravel pit in mid-winter.

In use, the boat has certainly come up to expectations – and raised many an eyebrow by her sheer sailing ability.  She is quite handsome both on and off the water and has received many compliments.  She rows very easily two up as expected and is very manoeuvrable despite the relatively deep bow and skeg.  Under sail, she slips along easily in light winds, accelerates well, is stiff when heeled ten degrees or so when working to windward in fresh breezes and planes fast and easily for an eleven footer though perhaps not quite as early as a ‘Topper’ – though this may have more to do with the fourteen and a half stone of her middle-aged helm and the lightness and youth of the opposition than her lines!  Her forte is undoubtedly a fresh breeze to windward with a bit of a lop when she has surprised even larger craft – though they have naturally left her standing after the windward mark.  It is one thing for a reviewer to claim that a particular boat is fast and handy when it is sailed alone without any direct comparison, quite another for a dinghy to race against good club racing dinghies of various designs and acquit herself well, week in week out, year in year out, winter and summer - for much of her nine years.  But that is the history of Chapelle’s little unnamed, unsung wonder.

 * This was written in the year 2000.

Early days racing at Haversham S/C.  Not a very good turn-out.  Still too many wind-thieving Wayfarers waiting to get in the way, though!