For those of you who’re familiar, each year the reality of having an old wooden boat meant I also holidayed… aboard my old wooden boat. 2010 was no different!
Day 1
Today, as ever was quite hectic (this stands true now – no matter how prepared I think I am – I still end up pulling a superhuman effort to leave the house on time with all the gear I need for a sailing trip)
The precious/vital items you’ve forgotten, the last minute jobs etc. This year it was further compounded by ‘Boris’ a truculent 30yr old Land Rover;
The L/R
You get 2 choices at Oby – make several time-consuming trips, OR make one lung bursting, eyeball popping legs-bowed trudge – thinking stoic thoughts about pack mules. The path itself was also uneven, often muddy & with livestock to contend with…. Character building!
With ‘Corsair’ loaded – we then entered our usual underwater ploughing competition to leave the mooring. 3ft 8″ draft. Sigh.
(having just bought a L/R with a 2.6L straight six – I was resigned to sailing without the engine as I couldn’t afford petrol for both. Improves your sailing skills, but watching both quants bend like bananas as we forced ‘Corsair’ through the mud always was unnerving!)
Freed, we set two reefs & middle jib saw us storming up the Bure toward Thurne junction. Despite our efforts at reefing, control soon became marginal (!)
Situation ‘not ideal’
…and it was only the sterling work of Mr Jalil (who I note has been promoted for 2010?) that brought relative calm by scandalising the mainsail.
We ventured up Womack water for the evening, and sliding upriver we spotted ‘Pickin Jack’ looking quite forlorn outside Colin Buttifant’s yard. Evidently he has still yet to complete ‘Seabird’s’ new mast…
(nb ‘Seabird’ had sustained an injury whilst acting as start-boat for Reedham regatta. Colin B. being tasked with a new mast. ‘Seabird’s’ owners been reported as muttering “I wanted a new bloody windscreen not a new bloody mast” to much hilarity.)
Mooring at the staithe proved tricky but we slid into a little spot!! We adopted our usual trick of aiming at the gap – pushing in until the fenders sqweak, keep pushing then adjust the other boats mooring lines to make the space fit ‘Corsair’… works every time – especially with unsuspecting tourists.
In fact, my top-tip for mooring next to holiday-makers. First come alongside, then step aboard… Get a line on the nearest cleat. Then, and only then ask if its okay to moor alongside them. Got it?
(alas boat next door turned out to be noisy swines)
Later that night, we found ourselves in the King’s Arms, which for some inexplicable reason had a DJ and the music… more bloody noise!
Well peeling your eyelids with rusty nails would have been less painful. However later in the evening there was entertainment in the form of Laura (also a pub-goer) who had an issue with her dress zip(!)
(The logbook notes the skipper became all unnecessary at this point & ends abruptly)
I promised I would write about ‘Privateer’ – and have managed to pull together my notes. Whilst it’s a distraction from writing about ‘Corsair’ – I hope it’s interesting. This is Part 1 of 2.
It was an incredible experience, and these photographs only emphasised that if I’m honest. I believe they’re taken in 1936, and show a newly built ‘Privateer’, heeling to a fresh breeze, clearly the pride of the C&H fleet;
Privateer – A.L. Braithwaite’s photographs.
I will say, I still find it AMAZING that those photographs survived 80 odd years, before being found & rescued by me. I count myself as very lucky to have them.
‘Privateer’ is typically Braithwaite in her design, displaying the fine entry & narrow transom that’s a signature for C&H yachts he drew. Complete with characteristic chrome trim, including the corner pieces on the cockpit & cabin sides.
At 31ft on-deck, there’s a strong chance that her metacentric qualities mean the largest underwater sectional area is likely to be nearly dead-on 50% of the LWL.
Interestingly, period commentary of ‘Privateer’ from both anecdotes (more of this later) and the Blake’s catalogue suggest she was a ‘handful’. Certainly she was advertised with the stern warning;
“not available to novices”
Blakes catalogues, much like Estate Agency listings need some interpretation, ‘Lively’ means arm-breaking weather helm. “Bijou” accommodation means a pokey cabin, and ‘easily handled’ means it sails like a log whatever you do… (!)
So I suggest the warning given meant ‘Privateer’ was a powerful boat.
This was confirmed to me in an anecdote by Paul Bown – a previous owner. He recounted that a local boatbuilder – Stanley Nudd was working quietly in the rigging shed at Herbert Woods – suddenly being rudely disturbed by ‘Privateer’ bursting through the shed wall! The party of young women aboard having lost control.
I don’t think this is immediately the fault of the helm, or ‘Privateer’ if I’m honest. To capitalise on internal space, alot of hire yachts had large cabins, with comparatively small cockpits, and as a ‘work around’ – some had their rudders linked to the tiller, which could then be mounted much further aft.
This creates alot of space in the cockpit – but the mechanical linkage limits you to putting the helm over until about 45 or 50 degrees max…
‘Privateer’ originally had such a linkage, which was later removed.
My theory – is that ‘Privateer’ was running downriver – toward the bridge. Upon turning, the limits of the tiller linkage meant she couldn’t (and wouldn’t) turn. Hence the nasty thump on the shed.
No damage to ‘Privateer’ was reported!
Herbert Woods’ yard – photographed in 1938 shows a white shed, immediately adjacent to the main river – I suspect this was the unfortunate victim of ‘Privateer’s’ advances!;
Herbert Woods – Potter Heigham, 1938.
Note the white shed, next to the footbridge (and the river!)
Being larger than the ‘Clipper’s’ meant the ‘Privateer’ could boast being a 2-cabin, 4 berth yacht. That is with 2 berths in the forrad cabin, then a Heads compartment & companionway opposite segregating this from the aft cabin – also with 2 berths. I’ve slept on ‘Privateer’ – and can vouch that the bunks are over 6ft length, and very wide!
Even though she was built for hire, it’s clear that Braithwaite & Lejeune decided to experiment. The gaff spar is bamboo – reducing weight aloft and linking back to the aim that all C&H yachts would be rewarding to sail.
They also looked to reducing the weight of the hull through construction. ‘Privateer’s’ hull planking was reputedly 3/4 mahogany (!) – with oak frames at 9″ centres. By comparision ‘Corsair’ has 1 inch planking, and her ribs are at 6″ centres.
Use of metalwork featured in the structural members of the hull- there was an iron breasthook & quarter knees – plus a substantial iron frame around the tabernacle.
Internally – the cabin roof was raised by a primative hydraulic system, ambitious! Later removed – as the leather seals were prone to leaking & spraying holiday-makers with oil!
In 1957, ‘Privateer’ found herself hired by the Bowes-Lyon family.
Yes, that Bowes-Lyon family! Although Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was not aboard.
The Bowes-Lyon’s were sailing across Breydon, where they hooked a post with the mainsheet. BANG. You stop quite quickly doing this, and it was apparent they & ‘Privateer’ were going nowhere.
Unforgivably – they piled into the dinghy, and rowed to the ‘Star Hotel’ on Yarmouth quayside. Where upon they calmly telephone Chumley & Hawke – informed them where ‘Privateer’ was, and curtailed their holiday by getting on a train, pronto.
‘Privateer’ was found, lying on the mud on her side, full of water.
I’ll save my opinions on that, but ‘Privateer’ is the only R.C.C. yacht that can claim to be sunk by Royal Appointment!
Bizarrely, a very close friend of mine spent her childhood hiring ‘Privateer’. In fact, Jean & her family first sailed from Chumley & Hawke in 1951, to begin with, hiring ‘Clipper’ yachts. A bit of me hopes that Jean & her parents hired Clipper VI, especially as in 1951 she was the newly built C&H yacht…
Jean re-counted that her Father had previously hired ‘Brigand’ from Wroxham, but found it too frustrating getting through the trees from Wroxham each year. So turned to C&H in Horning for holidays.
The format of their holidays was quite simple, the Oliver family would drive from Birmingham, get aboard ‘Privateer’ & head to Hickling Broad in company with some other yachts, including 1 or 2 from Hunter’s yard at Ludham.
Again, I’m hugely fortunate in that Jean’s shared a number of photographs of ‘Privateer’ in hire, during the early 1950’s;
Oliver family – Privateer, 1950’s.
By the 1950’s – the windows in ‘Privateer’ had undergone their first change – gone were the chrome ports – replaced by sliders in external frames. Jean reports that these frequently opened when ‘Privateer’ was heeled over!
Like ‘Clipper’s’, the original chrome ports didn’t make ‘Privateer’ that light inside the cabin, so they were changed. Much like the oval hopper windows that ‘Corsair’ received in 1961 in fact.
Also note the cross-trees, and tan sails.
I’m quite taken by the scene in the cabin at mealtime. So much atmosphere – and ALOT more room than in ‘Corsair’s’ cabin!
Once on Hickling – Jean was often set adrift in the pram dinghy, learning to row quite quickly. (!) Whilst her parents roared up & down the Broad;
Oliver family – 1950’s, Privateer including the Pram dinghy
A few days spent on the upper Thurne would result in a frantic ‘sort out’ between the boats present at the end of the holiday. One at least one occasion, Percy Hunter complained that his yachts were returned with C&H cutlery in the drawer.
In 1956, C&H disposed of ‘Privateer’ to a Mr J. Brittain – who kept her for 7 years, where she passed to Paul Bown’s father. He’s kindly shared with me this photo of ‘Privateer’ at South Walsham Broad, 27th July 1963 – when they bought her;
Bown family – ‘Privateer’, South Walsham Broad 1963
Note the white painted transom, potentially a sign of an elderly yacht needing some TLC.
Paul’s family bought ‘Privateer’ from Mr Brittain, who just bought S/N117 – Anne.
I’ll stop here for Part 1, and revisit my notes about Paul’s father, Paul’s ownership & ‘Privateer’s later history for Part 2.
Returning to writing, after a long absence. At the end of last season, my head was full, and I needed to focus on wrapping ‘Corsair’ up. As you can see its taken a few weeks for me to feel like writing. Anyway.
End of the 2019 season, 11th December.
I’ve previously stored ‘Corsair’ at Upton, during the 2009/2010 winter.
That year, I sailed ‘Corsair’ to Upton from her Oby mooring in late December, she was due to be lifted just before Christmas. It proved to be the only time I’ve sailed her in the SNOW, and to be honest it felt very intrepid (bl&%dy cold) when I’d reached Upton.
A few days after she’d been craned – Upton froze rather spectacularly!
Cold!
In 2009 – when I worked on the boat, I’d live on ‘Corsair’ at weekends. Luxury it wasn’t! Sleeping inside 2 sleeping bags, having first made the boat utterly disgusting by filling it with dust, etc!
It embarrasses me now, but looking back through notebooks I can see that during that winter a repair (!) was inflicted to the port side-deck which leaked.
It involved removing the cant-rail, and then carefully peeling back the trac-mark. I hadn’t money to buy new! Then, very carefully I dug out the rot, and the soggy bits… being VERY careful not to go through the boards completely. Then I sprayed everything with cuprinol wood hardener, before literally trowling epoxy in and smoothing it out.
Inside the boat, a mixture of masking tape and playing cards were sacrificed to stop the epoxy from leaking through… (!!!)
I also had to complete my 1st replacement plank. I made about every mistake I could have made. The plank was short (about 4ft), was butt-jointed to the adjacent timber with some good old ‘prayer books’ on the inside, and I think I used a linseed based frame sealant to caulk up.
Also – in view of my ‘ahem’ limited budget – that plank was fashioned from a 5ft length of 7 inch wide skirting board… If you cut the moulding off, you can just about get a short plank out of it (!)
I can’t defend these repairs today, as they were short-lived. But at a time when I was struggling financially, they meant I kept the boat afloat and sailing.
Thankfully no pictures exist…
And, having suitably disgraced myself, I will try and explain the connection between Upton and Chumley & Hawke…
One of the post-war owners of Chumley & Hawke, Vic Harrison evidently supported Tim & Annie’s endeavour to run their own hire fleet. When they moved to Upton in 1958, it was in the midst of changes at Chumley & Hawke.
I understand that Vic was instrumental in Tim & Annie taking a number of the C & H yacht fleet with them;
– Reveries 1 – 6 (Press built)
– Brown Elf, Imp and Sprite (C&H built – ALB designed)
– Pixie (Press built)
R/e the builder’s notes above… I know they’re accurate in terms of ALB designs.
I’m not clear when the Reverie’s joined C&H, but given they are Press built boats, and Alfred Yaxley (the post-war foreman at C&H) came from the Press yard, I suspect the boats came with him post WW2, so to speak.
In fact, all these yachts were 2 berth, small yachts. Leading to the nickname that EW was the ‘honeymoon’ fleet!!
Design- wise, the Brown Elf class was the most interesting in the EW fleet at that time. They really show A.L Braithwaite’s tendency to experiment.
Originally these were ‘Una’ rigged, in the same way a ‘catboat’ is in the US. It certainly wouldn’t be the first instance of US design influencing boats on the Broads, its rumoured a local boatbuilder (from up Wroxham way!) used the ‘Rudder’ magazine as a source of inspiration!
Brown Elf, Imp & Sprite
They are diminutive – vital statistics; 20 LOA, 17ft 3″ LWL, 7ft 6″ beam, with 3ft draft and 223sq. ft of sail & 580lb of external ballast.
Interestingly, Braithwaite wrote to Yachting Monthly in 1949 about the Brown Elf class – they were designed by him in 1930, and must have been one of his 1st designs for C&H.
Their rig differed from a typical gaff Broads yacht, not just with the lack of jib, but also that they carried jaws on the boom, and a down-haul to tension the luff. Much like a lugsail dinghy, although you could argue given their size, Brown Elf, Imp & Sprite were little more than half-deckers (in the nicest possible way).
The Una rig would have made alot of sense for a Broads hire-boat, it locates the mast well out of the way of any accomodation. There’s minimal standing & running rigging. and of course in a moment of panic, if the helm is abandoned they should luff & come to a halt.
Most sailing yachts in hire operated on that same principle. A large mainsail with weather-helm was considered safer with inexperienced sailors.
Happily, unlike the ‘Clippers’ there are lines plans which have been replicated for the Brown Elf class, and you can really see the metacentric theory being applied, look at the area curves, and how uniform they are.
It certainly looks like the maximum underwater sectional area is absolutely 50% along the DWL.
Brown Elf – lines plan
Once the Brown Elves were rehomed at Upton, it wasn’t long before Tim also took to altering them. The cabin’s were extended forward, and the Una rig abandoned for a Bermudian sloop configuration.
As a nice circuitous touch, here’s a photo of Brown Elf in 1962, outside Horning Ferry, whose link to C&H was the tragic demise of Joseph Lejeune, foreman.
Brown Elf, Imp or Sprite – outside Horning Ferry 1962
I’ve no doubt that Lejeune oversaw the building of the Elf’s, at what must have been an exciting period in C&H’s history – a new owner, new designs and minor publicity in yachting press of time.
Anyway, I hope I’ve managed to narrate the link between Chumley & Hawke, Tim & Annie, Upton, and ‘Corsair’s’ history.
Returning desperately to my original concept of trying to write in the order in which I’ve learnt about ‘Corsair’ forces a return to 2009.
The 2009 season passed relatively smoothly. ‘Corsair’ stayed on the Northern Rivers aside from the Perryman memorial race that May, and I was in the enviable position of being able to sail with Joe & Julia aboard ‘The Only Girl’ when on the southern rivers, and on the north rivers with ‘Corsair’.
At the end of the season – I finished my sailing as I do now, with the YSC’s Turkey Race. Essentially we keep the boats in the water until December, and you race with 3rd prize being a brace of pheasant, 2nd Duck, and 1st prize is a Christmas Turkey.
As you can see, 2009 saw me aboard ‘TOG’ – on a particularly cold & calm day!
The Only Girl – 2009 Turkey Race.
During that winter – I was staying with friends in West Norfolk, and once ensconced in the spare room, I exercised one of my character traits… I just have to look at the books on other people’s bookshelves!! You will learn a lot that way, I recommend it, when you next get the chance.
Cruise of the Clipper – A. M. Derham
I don’t know what singled this book out to me, I assume it was that latent tie to that word ‘Clipper’. I know it was late, cold, and VERY quiet, so I didn’t waste time getting back into bed with the book. Within pages I was hooked.
This WAS a book about the Broads… More significantly – it WAS about Chumley & Hawke in Horning, and it featured three young men, who’d hired Clipper.
The book centres on 3 young men, who decide upon a September sailing holiday, and in the early pages even references the discomfort of the 3rd person sleeping on the cabin floor (some things never change!)
By page 21, I’d realised that Derham has used Broads landscapes and features – aside from ‘Brackley Hall’, which if the illustration is anything to go by, I’d say is ‘Burefields’ – the house adjacent to Horning vicarage;
Sleep forgotten, I read on – it’s a reasonably cheerful little book, until I reached page 54. Where I must admit I had to stop! Roman numerals had never been my strong point… I knew what I was reading.
Clipper IV or VI?
Clipper VI. CLIPPER VI! THAT’S MY BOAT! Even now, writing this I’m smiling. It forms one of many ‘awe struck’ moments that have happened to me in my ownership of ‘Corsair’.
I mean – I didn’t own this book, I routinely wouldn’t have access to this book – it’s not even in my house! Here I am, with 100’s of choices, and I select this book. The centre of the story, well it’s my little boat!
Needless to say – I now own 2 copies of ‘Cruise of the Clipper’, which coincidently was published in 1952. I can only guess that Arthur Morgan Derham was a very early hirer of ‘Clipper VI’, given her built completed in 1951.
Interestingly – A.M. Derham must have had some close links with Chumley & Hawke, as he also hired their yacht ‘Viking’. She is the star of his book ‘On the Trail of the Windward’ (circa 1949/1950).
The ‘Windward’ is I believe a substitute name for a large Broads ex-hire yacht, the ‘Westwards’ – which were built by Jack Powles in Wroxham.
From what I can tell – Arthur Morgan Derham was born in 1915, in Hertfordshire. By age 14 he had converted to an Evangelist, something which he later embraced quite fully.
As a young man, he was given warrant number 123990 in the Metropolitan police force, serving as a Constable between 1935 & 1938. It was during 1938 that he took on the role of Pastor, at the West Ham Baptist Tabernacle – which itself is a quite imposing 1903 chapel; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3104634
West Ham was (is?) – a densely populated part of London, which took some awful damage in WW2. It’s noted that Derham continued his services, but underground until 1944. At this point, his writing increased and he was known to travel to churches in England.
Potentially, this may be the link to Horning… I know there’s a Baptist church in Neatishead, potentially Derham spent some time there. There is no doubt that he had sailed on the Broads, and definitely knew the area. He captures details sufficiently well to have been there himself.
A.M. Derham later rose to the position of General Secretary of the Evangelist Alliance. I’m not sure if they found out about his other published works… including “Love, Sex & Marriage (A Christian Guide)”…… !!!!!!!!!!
His earlier book, ‘On the trail of the Windward” I didn’t actually own until 2017. Although inside the cover of that book, I notice that it was presented to Peter Hamment, of Tunstead Chapel – so maybe Derham was there?
The publishers are C.S.S.M – the Children’s Special Service Mission, so maybe that’s just co-incidence it was awarded as a church prize (46 attendances in 1949)
I’m delighted to have found both books – as for my friends Damien & Julian who own ‘Viking’, it was lovely to introduce them to their boat, in print so to speak. Like ‘Cruise of the Clipper’ – “On the trail of the Westward’ has some excellent cover artwork.
Isn’t it great? Very much of the 1950’s, and if you can overlook the strong Christian subtexts with the stories – they are cracking little books about 2 very cherished C&H boats!
So yes. ‘Corsair’ is in a book. A book I only found, by chance, over 40 miles from where I live, in someone else’s house. Still amazes me, 10 years later.
Very opposite sailing at the moment. From sailing fully reefed in a near gale to a flat calm, on a beautiful, crisp day.
Personally – I think it’s worth keeping the boat in until December, Autumn does give some beautiful days, so I resolved to make the topsail work, with a proper spar.
I sailed ‘Corsair’ for the 1st time with her topsail this year, at Cantley Autumn Regatta with the Yare Sailing Club. Here’s a gratuitous photo;
Corsair with topsail.
I’m not going to pretend that’s set well. In face, given that it’s hanging off my quant pole, which is at least a metre too short, the yard is tangled the wrong side of the gaff, and the peak isn’t high enough I’m reasonably surprised we came 3rd in that race!!
Sticking to my principles, the rig should work, and it should look right. So I resolved to make the topsail set properly. I’ve previous experience of jackyard topsails, having spent a lot of my teenage years sailing a topsail rigged halfdecker;
Grace – my halfdecker. Topsail contrived from upside down BOD jib.
Unlike his counterparts though, I am unable to send a man or two afloat to stow the topsail – neither do I have a clue when he advises us to be mindful of “passing the weather earing”.
So – first hoist of the topsail, and it was apparent that the sheeting angle was wrong – with the sheet being too low on the yard. Even worse – on port tack the yard pulled away from the mast, allowing everything to ‘twist’;
I appreciate that topsails & mainsails are two separate sails. However, for the purposes of my simple brain – one is an extension of the other. And a ruddy great gap in the middle of it doesn’t help.
So down it all came again!
Rig adjustments are subtle. The sheet was moved by 3 inches, and an addition line was added, which held the topsail spar close to the mast, and ensured it would be parallel at all points of sail. This is tied loosely to the spar – so it just pulls ‘in’ to the mast, I don’t want it to impact on the downhaul, which you can see is caught up in the topping lift.
So next attempt revealed the sheet was wrong (by 1 inch) and the second halyard (for want of a better name) was also ‘out’ by about 4 inches.
Lowered again… Avoila!
Nicely set.
So, in my book, that’s not bad. Crease diagonally up and down the main from peak to tack. Topsail yard nicely vertical. Load on the jib & the topsail forestay.
Crucially – I’ve marked everything on the spars, and given that I was knee-deep in rope on the forepeak I’ve had some thoughts about extra cleats, and some rope bags to tidy everything.
I’m pleased with this. Just got to test it all over the next few Autumnal Days.
Bliss.
My ambition to have a rig that works well on ‘Corsair’ have been a constant process if I’m honest. During 2009, I made some alterations to the jib, effectively cutting it parallel to the luff, removing approximately 12 inches of sail up its length.
At that time, I had hoped to resolve some issues with occasional lee-helm, and soon reduced the length of the bowsprit to match. From this photo in 2009, you can see that the jib doesn’t quite ‘fit’ the foretriangle;
Small jib – big gap!
To be honest, this set-up worked beautifully for me, at that time. Sailing single-handed I wanted really positive weather-helm. If it all went wrong, I needed to know the boat would luff, and come to a halt.
This was the thinking behind the original hire-boat rig, keep a small jib, so that the boat will automatically luff and stop. Also, for hire-boats any bowsprit would only be a unnecessary damage making implement!
‘Corsair’ has had 4 rigs now throughout her 68 years. She started off a stem-head sloop. First with a self-tacking jib, then a loose footed jib. In 1961 she gained a small bowsprit with the Campbell family, with a larger, high peaked mainsail. In 1989 she gained the ‘large’ topsail rig whilst in the ownership of Joe & Julia(originally cut 1978 for ‘Sabrina’ s/n 71). Joe & Julia actually kept the old sails, and the original bowsprit – enabling them to have either a ‘big’ or a ‘little’ rig.
Finally in 2019 she got her current rig – the 2nd time in her 58 career as a private yacht that she’s received brand new sails, specifically for her!
So, will I keep the rig in its current form? If history repeats itself, she will probably end up carrying this suit of sails for 40 years or so – so who can say?!
I know that for now, the extra string, extra effort and space needed for a topsail is manageable – but I can’t say how I’ll feel about it in 5, 10 years with any accuracy really.
I am glad though, the rig now can be set properly, or as near to as I can get!
Day 3 started with rain. Lots of it. It drummed on the awning and slowly but persistently it revealed all of the deak-leaks. Annoyingly most are above our bunks!
It’s pointless staying in a damp bunk – so over breakfast various damp people from the fleet discussed our destination. No longer was it Geldeston, we’d motor down the Waveney and head for Cantley.
All of this was discussed over a nutritious meal of bacon rolls, and ‘hair of the dog’ Strongbow… design specifications had been exceeded last night. (!)
Following this decision, there was a flurry of activity as tents were folded, masts lowered and every inch of space used to stow gear. ‘Corsair’s’ forepeak was crammed, to the point we’d not get the mast back up ever again…
The outboard decided to break its fuel system at this point – thanks to Chief Engineer Jalil for sorting this (note promotion from Petty Officer!). As we left, we were definitely at the back of the fleet, and all of us soaked.
As ‘Corsair’ towed ‘Nulsec’ downriver a lucrative card-school was hosted in the cabin, the stakes were 2p a bet. All was well until some fool (James) lost his winnings.
Periodically these gambling, drinking swines would come to inquire as to the skippers well-being…
(It took years to find all the 2p coins in the bilges!!!)
As we motored downriver – those swines drank ALL the booze!
In the New Cut – bizarrely we realised that on our tail was ‘Herbie’ we weren’t last! Simon & Sarah were hustling along. Herbie was a 12ft Fibrocell dinghy, but was sporting an Evinrude 20hp on the back! There was nothing but a flurry of spray, a bow-wave and two soggy looking people!!
Fastest dinghy in the East… Or West…
‘Corsair’ and ‘Nulsec’ moored at Reedham Street (to replenish the booze!), and we kept an eye to see if ‘Nulsec’ would sink again. She didn’t, and we managed to get all the sails up, to head upriver for Cantley.
Even the repaired rudder behaved itself!! Both craft enjoyed some champagne sailing up the Yare, to the extent that ‘Corsair’ carried on up with the last of the flood to the Beauchamp Arms…
We moored to a fishing platform – tiptoed ashore as the water swelled the banks and had a well-earnt pint.
Our stolen pint.
Returning to Cantley kept us on our toes, but we’d drifted off (literally). Flush with success we poured ourselves some room temperature Gins and drifted back in the early evening sun.
Almost civilised!
The weather hadn’t finished with us, a ‘roger’ belted into us just upstream of Langley – shitshitshitSHIT, helm down, let go sheets, no good the booms in, HOLD ON!
Somehow – Robert in his role as official reporter coolly held his nerve (and his drink) and photographed how far we were over;
Damp bunks… Again.
Suitably chastened – with split Gins and frayed nerved we returne to Cantley
Quick phone call sorted extra beds. So 4 lucky souls will sleep aboard on ‘The Only Girl’ (S/N137) for the night.
In the meantime though, the morning’s hangovers we discarded, who cares! the pub, the pub!!
Phew. Writing this now having had a forced absence from;
A.) writing and B.) sailing.
Weather in Norfolk hasn’t been the kindest. Last Saturday instead of rowing across to ‘Corsair’, I was forced to walk a mile down the flood-bank on the opposite side of the river, and then wade through the rhond to get to her.
Mind you, I’m not complaining. You walk south from Cold Harbour and the view west is fantastic. The vista includes St. Helen’s church, whose tower juts above the tree line at Ranworth, meanwhile to the right, the remains of St. Benets squat on the marsh, with Horning Hall obscured behind.
The f7 SW had laid the reeds flat, and as we walked, we watched a determined yacht tacking up the Bure. Three reefs and a storm jib – good effort. Even from couple of miles away, you could tell she was striding along. Exhilarating conditions
(for the right boat!)
All of this played out under a magnificent, leaden sky-scape. 8/8th’s cloud cover, and all scuddying along ahead of this incessant near-gale. I tried to absorb it all, that sense of place in me taking over. I’m very lucky
to live in this part of the world, my advice is to make sure you see Norfolk in different weathers and in different seasons.
It’s hard to describe, but you’ll capture the different ‘moods’ of the days and seasons if you do. You’ll see what’s a weather bank in a Northerly, or a westerly, where the trees will shelter you, how the wind bends along the reaches –
all useful for when you’re sailing and need to find a decent mooring or take in a reef. I don’t pretend
Edward Seago managed to capture the atmosphere of St. Benets under a storm better than me;
Seago – St. Benets abbey.
Anyway. ‘Corsair’ was O.K. bilges were dry, covers still on. Duty done, we trudged back to the car. Odd isn’t it, boats are such a release in so many ways psychologically, and a constant responsibility physically. I dread to think how
many miles I’ve driven to check on her in similar situations.
Back to 2009.
2009 Cruise – Day 2
Cold. Cramped. And hungover once again. Not an unusual set of circumstances for the cruise…. Bleary eyed – I staggered through the cockpit and opened the awning.
Bollocks.
Opening the awning had focused my attention somewhat. What a bloody nuisance! James’ boat – ‘Nulsec’ had capsize itself in the night, quite unnoticed. After confirming with someone less hungover than me that in fact yes, the boat had sunk itself – we set about righting her. After I’d had a good think about what to do…
Do I need this?
What a hassle that was!! For a 17ft boat, there was a lot of water to be removed. Sterling bailing efforts by Rob, James & Chris removed most of the water, leaving ‘Nulsec’ mostly afloat.
However, a brief phone call to Julia – the wonderful Hon. Secretary of the Yare Sailing Club produced a large, petrol powers salvage pump, which quickly drained the boat, leaving us with our fleet mostly intact.
Having lost time, we then set about motoring down the New Cut. For those of you not familiar, the New Cut is the result of some fairly aggressive Victorian power-playing. Yarmouth was a successful port – Norwich was not. No matter – Samuel Morton Peto dug a cut – linking Oulton Broad with Norwich, so you wouldn’t have to go through Yarmouth…
Yes. Not quite successful, it does however provide a useful function connecting the Yare with the Waveney – where we were heading. Whilst we motored, a fry up was produced, with the skipper resorting to hair of the dog!!
More amusement was to come though, how do you lower the mast on a 17ft racing dinghy?? With a lot of ‘faff’, bad language and brute force! I was still hungover, and unable to assist.
During this, ‘Dragonfly’ (S/N 6) came swishing past heading for Somerleyton. No doubt amused by the antics – they sensible opted to finding decent moorings.
Moored against a convenient crane barge at Haddiscoe – we set about raising the big white crinkly bits (sails!!)
In the short interval that followed, James attacked a moored pontoon, ran into the reeds on a lee-shore, lured a hire craft into towing him illegally, and generally produced much material (very kindly) for me to record.
The fleet – now mostly assembled at Somerleyton consisted of ‘Seabird’, ‘Dragonfly’, ‘Corsair’ and ‘Nulsec’… Just HB & Herbie the wonder-dinghy and we’d be complete.
To pass the time, we inexplicably found ourselves in the pub – avoiding the rain, playing cards with a pint. Compared to yesterday’s excitement – this is more like it!!
So, back to the 1960’s – Peter Olorenshaw had disposed of ‘Corsair’ quite soon after acquiring her, and she was on the bank at Brundall. In truth, she was having an ignominious time of it.
Peter Olorenshaw is credited however with reducing the sail gear by lowering the peak slightly, and fitting an inboard engine. A Vire 6hp, with a hotch-potch arrangement of different height cockpit seats to accommodate this.
Whilst the engine itself is long gone, there is a remaining legacy, namely the ‘slot’ for the gear change lever in one of the cockpit lids.
The Campbells had swapped her for a fairly new White Boat (No. 79 – The Old Lady), seen here in 2010;
Photo – G.C. Slawson.
In 1964 – brothers John & Peter Olorenshaw registered as a owners of Norfolk dinghy, essentially each time ‘Corsair’ found herself moved on, for a smaller boat!
The Norfolk Dinghy was originally conceived by Herbert Woods, legendary Broadsman and boatbuilder from Potter Heigham. The prototype is actually No. 2, that’s another story!! The first Norfolk dinghies were built in 1931, costing approximately £65. It’s rumoured they were an alternative to the International 14, which at that time cost 150 guineas. The Norfolks were mostly built pre-war.
For the Olorenshaws, their dinghy was built in a period where that class was slowing down. In fact from 1951 to 1968, only 9 new boats were built. In the pre-war days, averages of 6 or 7 new dinghies a year wasn’t uncommon! The Olorenshaw brothers only kept their Norfolk from 1964 until 1977.
Prior to the Olorenshaw’s passing ‘Corsair’ on to her next owner, (she was sold in 1969). Her next owner was in fact, across the Atlantic!
As a young man, Stephen Hinde had taken 6 months’ work in a department store in Detroit, Michigan, which lead to him being in a position to purchase ‘Corsair’. Although he first covered approximately 12,000 miles on Greyhound buses, travelling around America.
Once back in the UK, Stephen was mulling over which river cruiser to purchase – prospective craft being either ‘Corsair’ or ‘White Wings’ (S/N 1)
So yes. ‘Corsair’ was purchased at Brundall (Brooms Boats) there being a family connection between the Brooms, and the Olorenshaws. Her new owner Stephen Hinde. His family interestingly, also were business owners in Norwich. His great grandfather founded ‘Bonds’ department store, now part of the John Lewis chain.
His grandfather Ernest Bond also owned the wherry ‘Lorna Doon’;
Wherry Lorna Doon – presumed onboard, Robert Bond & possibly his sons Ernest & William.
Again – ‘Corsair’ had secured the attentions of a devoted owner, thankfully with the means to keep her well. Stephen’s first impression was that a lovely boat, but in the wrong place!!
I have been lucky enough to correspond with Stephen, and having met both he and his wife Janice at their home – and as such I was able to piece together more of ‘Corsair’s’ history.
At this time, Stephen was a member of the river cruiser class committee, so it made sense for ‘Corsair’ to be kept at Wroxham broad, with her own buoy near the public beach. Hence on the 29th June, 1969 he undertook his maiden cruise, sailing ‘Corsair’ from Brundall to the northern rivers.
I am fortunate enough to have in my possession several photographs of Stephen’s ownership. He not only sailed ‘Corsair’ actively within the river cruiser class, but also achieved some success, winning the ‘Rogue Tankard’ one Barton regatta. He also competed in the 1970 3 rivers race, with the Bakelite plaque now kept in my desk drawer.
L-R; Rogue, Corsair (in the lead) Swallow & Barracuda – Wroxham c.1965
During this time, ‘Corsair’ was over-wintered at John Clabburn’s yard; ‘Dawncraft, where it was necessary to replace some of the original sapele planking, even at this comparatively early stage in her life.
Also in 1970, he took ‘Corsair’ down Yarmouth harbour, just so she could sniff at the salt water – something to my knowledge which wasn’t repeated for her until 2012, where she was berthed at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club for their regatta on Lake Lothing.
Stephen had fitted an accessory which I understand is entirely bespoke to ‘Corsair’, and I’m not aware this has not been repeated by another Broads yacht before or since!
On the cabin roof, in the aftermost port corner, there is a shaped wooden holder, which receives a chromed spotlight. This was to enable night-time sailing! It too, is retained and lives in the forward cabin drawer under the starboard bunk.
Given the context of Stephen’s work (he was part of the family business, Bonds department store) it is evident that the search light was actively used, particularly as Saturday was a working day for him. He specifically recounted its’ use on a midnight navigation of Meadow Dyke, one summers’ evening – eventually mooring under the familiar silhouette of Horsey Mill.
During 1974, after Stephen had married – another Broads yacht caught his eye – s/n 101 ‘Loyalist’, a larger fully varnished Broads yacht that had been built for estuary/coastal work in addition to Broads sailing. He’d bought ‘Loyalist’ whilst still owning ‘Corsair’, and no doubt needed to focus his energies on the new…
RCC S/N101 – Loyalist. Built by Ernest Woods, as an estuary / inland cruiser. A beautiful and powerful boat.
As such, after a busy 6 years of racing and cruising, which included taking ‘Corsair’ to every single head of navigation on the Broads, Stephen put her into a boat auction at Potter Heigham. He recounted to me that the price achieved was somewhat lower than he’d hoped, and as such he removed certain equipment from her itinerary. Much later (42 years in fact) I was able to reunite ‘Corsair’ with certain items, including a fitted winter cover, still bearing the legend “Jeckells Sailmakers, Wroxham).
I’m going to finish now, with two my my favourite photographs of Stephen’s ownership. They show a young man, with his dog – enjoying the boat.
Which is exactly what me and the dogs are now going to do now.
Sorry – I haven’t written for a few days. Not least that I have made a break-through in my research. Think ‘source of the Nile’ moment… I am going to break my rule of writing chronologically – and give you an update. Then I will write fully about what I’ve found later.
But. Back to Chumley & Hawke. Their fleet differed from most hire-fleets, in so much that they were mostly designed properly. This sounds harsh, but its unrelenting honest I’m afraid. Most broads yachts were build ‘by eye’, from half models… And, AND! They were badly built!! It’s easy to look at a river cruiser today, and get misty eyed, but in the ‘heyday’ – these boats were built to do a job, and to be disposable.
Look at ‘Corsair’ – she lasted 10 years in hire, then was sold off as redundant. Now, admittedly her first private ownership was a lavish environment, with all the right elements for a wooden boat. Money, dedication, money, enthusiasm and money. Oh, and Rolls Royce chrome.
Chumley & Hawke was run pre-war by Roland Hawke, and Alfred Lloyd Braithwaite (A.I.N.A.). Braithwaite had bought into the yard in 1930, moving to Horning. His first few designs but the emphasis on sailing qualities, with accommodation coming second. Proof of this, washis ‘Clipper’ class which won the challenge cup for small yachts, Horning 1935.
Clipper – 1939, showing the fine sailing they were capable of.
Aside from ‘Khala Nag’ – the best example I can think of this is ‘Viking’, built circa 1937. She is now a beautifully restored member of the River Cruiser class, however originally built as a 26ft halfdecker, and described as;
“Dayboat, mahogany built and designed for those who appreciate a really fine sailing boat, which compares favourably with a half-decker and has the advantage of a low cabin shelter…”
Nowadays, ‘Viking’ is a stunning vessel, having been modified to a canoe stern. Perhaps this is the biggest compliment to a devotee of metacentric hull theory – Viking was ably transformed to a canoe-stern yacht without major disfiguration. Here’s a picture of that indecently pretty hull;
RCC 113 – ‘Viking’, post rebuild at Broadland Boatbuilders.
Now, I can hear you ask ‘what’s metacentric hull theory’? No? Well I’ll tell you anyway. It was popular in the 1930’s. Mind you, so were airships and facism. So we’ll tread carefully.
A.L. Braithwaite was a supporter of the ‘metacentric shelf formula’, which aims to achieve good balance and handling under sail. Other notable followers include Harrison Butler.
The theory is based on the principle that as a yacht heels over under sail, the balance of the rig forces and the hydro-dynamics will be influenced by the changes in the immersed form of the hull.
Succinctly, a different shape underwater is presented as she heels and sails. The shape of the hull is defined at each ‘section’, and those different sections exert difference amounts of buoyancy. Aft sections may possibly being more buoyant than forward sections, interestingly the faster boats sit ‘bows down’ without the crew in the cockpit so are level fore/aft when sailing…
Metacentric shelf analysis plots the shifts in the varying buoyancies at each cross section of a boat, and defines a net value to windward or leeward and serves as a guide to achieving equal buoyancy in the dissimilar ends of a design. For a designer, the key is to draw and build a boat which has its greatest cross section area, within a close tolerance of the mid-point in the waterline.
The challenge then is to couple that principle with a hull drawing that decreases its cross sectional surface area in a union manner – both fore & aft of the mid-section. Further refinements can be made by accommodating the weight within a yacht into these calculations during design & build to ensure that the forces of hull buoyancy, rig power & centre of gravity all complement each other.
A.L Braithwaite designed boats which corresponded to this metacentric theory, both ‘Viking’ & ‘Privateer’ being good examples. Theoretically, their hulls change uniformly both fore & aft of the mid-section (usually within a small tolerance +/- 7-10%).
The ultimate test of course, being that a truly 100% metacentric hull should look almost identify from either direction. This has been demonstrated with ‘Viking’
Typically, the application of metacentric formula gives a sweet handling boat that is aesthetically pleasing, and has a good sailing performance without arm-breaking cases of ‘weather helm-shoulder syndrome’(™).
It should also be noted that nowadays, these calculations are done at the click of a mouse button, for Braithwaite to have applied this theory whilst it was relatively uncommon, in limited numbers whilst working in a Horning boatshed for a fleet of hire craft is quite extraordinary.
All Chumley & Hawke yachts have a distinct ‘look’ about them, with low slung cabins and sweet sheerlines. Don’t believe me? Here’s a family album;
RCC Privateer – photo Margaret Kilner
Clipper I
RCC Viking – photo Trish Barnes
RCC ‘Corsair’ – photo Sue Hines
Finally – the stem repair I made during that first winter.
Having rough-planed the bows quite blunt, I made sure everything was square (ish) before cutting and laminating a series of oak laminates in place. These were screwed and glued, and clamped into place with large baulks of timber helping me bend them right down the hull.
I had no way of knowing if it’d work. I remember cutting the excess off each side, to preserve the ‘scallops’ where the stem is faired into the planking. Judicous use of primer and sandpaper faired it all in nicely.
12 years later, it’s still there, and it’s been not de-laminated or ‘sprung’, so I think I got it right. Evidently my nervous approach was paying off, I hadn’t done anything massively stupid (yet).
During that winter, I also donated the original 1951 short bowsprit to S/N 242 ‘Freedom, who also gained a Clipper mainsail from another. Seemingly I was surrounded by people with old wooden boats, and a perchant to recycling! Or else we were all broke. I know I was.
That winter I often had to choose to walk/cycle to work during the week. I couldn’t afford the diesel to commute AND get to the boatyard at weekends.
Next time I write, I’ll give you an update on why I’ve been so quiet. I promise it’s exciting (to me at least).
As you’ve read – that first season I relished all that’s good about wooden boat ownership. It was halcyon days, but my ignorance would soon come galloping to catch me up.
Artist’s impression of that 1st season.
First off – I know that this first winter I needed to address the rudder. It was extremely worrying, how little control I had under certain conditions. From talking with the previous owner – I learnt that it had already been modified/enlarged once!
Okay. So I studied boat design at University, this won’t be too tricky (oh ho ho ho!). Most Broads yachts have freestanding, rather than keel-hung rudders. But there are two main types. Teardrop shaped, and ‘spades’. ‘Corsair’ had a spade, with one corner lobbed off. The tricky bit, is to ensure that the blade and the shaft never part company.
n.b. in a scene worthy of Green’s ‘The Art of Coarse Sailing’, I have once attacked a Bungalow due to a rudder disintegrating… (different boat)
‘Corsair’ was lifted out at Coxes boatyard, at Barton Turf. I knew nothing about them at the time, just that their storage was cheap, their cranage cheap, and it was as close as Thurne had been.
Oh. Yes derigging. My halfdecker was simple. Sails could be folded, and most items placed in the boot of my ancient Volvo. Not so with a River Cruiser! The matresses, the cookers, the Tilley Lamp, the standing rigging, the cordage, the blocks, the sails (X3 jibs), the awning it was all… BIG! Plus it all needed storing.
These days, I’m quite good at folding everything, emptying the boat and storing it all. Not so in the early days.
My housemate at the time was quite shell-shocked. Our garden shed, attic and conservatory soon disappeared, the visual aesthetic was not dissimilar to an olde-world chandlery. The awning being natural canvas smelt lovely, if a little damp for the first few days.
Anyway, the rudder. This was drawn, in a scene reminiscent of the Somme. A rudder tube is about 31/2ft through the hull, and then there’s another 3ft through the blade. That’s a sodding great hole, which was dug with a pick and spade by me. UNDERNEATH the boat, by myself. I also learnt that boatyards are often made up of discarded rubble, which creates fine hard-standing. (oh my arms!).
The new rudder was based on the ‘barn-door’ principles of hydrodynamics. It’s about 40% bigger than the old rudder. It’s balanced, and achieved my desire. I can push it across in a tack, let go – tend the jib sheets/backstays and the tiller stays where I left it.
However, it wasn’t a piece of fine woodworking! I used whatever ply, softwood and cheap epoxy-esque glue I could get my hands on. 11 years later it has survived. Possibly I got lucky. I know that it cost less than £40 in materials, and has some ferrous screws hidden within it. (!)
The old rudder had been designed by a glider pilot. It worked beautifully at hull-speed. That’s about all I can say nicely. My ever-patient housemate watched with on aghast, as I built the new rudder in the conservatory after work, over a week. The use of an electric plane indoors created some excitement.
I was so bloody naïve, I even told people at the time ‘oh no, there’s nothing major this year. Just paint and varnish. Oh and this little job’. Yup. You’ve guessed it.
Rot.
The stem was rotten!!! There had been a deck leak, which had tracked down the stem, and now needed my attention. I was volubly upset. This wasn’t in the plan! How could I afford it. How could I repair it!
I am not a confident woodworker. Certainly not back then. I remember cutting off the offending rotten stem, having first removed the gammon iron, and the bobstay fitting. It was horrible! I cut back as far as I dared, and almost certainly into the apron. I was VERY close to some hood-ends, and had made the front of ‘Corsair’ very, very blunt.
Overall – I was quite dejected. I walked away from the boat with my head spinning. This has happened many times throughout my ownership. At the time, I didn’t realise it, but if you love old boats, owning them gets into your head and your heart much more than you’d believe.
At this time though, I had started the research project which I hope to write about from now on, (whilst re-counting other pitfalls and sailing holidays).
It all started with me being told that ‘Corsair’ had at one time, been the smartest little boat on the broads. She’d been owned by a Mr Campbell. The MD of Mann Egerton* – A large motor engineers in Norwich. Long-closed there are still some signs of its presence. Such as the ‘ghost sign’ still on Constitution Hill.
I had written to his son, Jamie Campbell, who replied. It was the first of many ‘wow’ moments. His first communication confirmed that ‘Corsair’ had been owned by his family, and that they’d bought her out of hire in 1961.
Just think – in the early 1950’s, you could buy a lovely Broads Yacht, or you could go to Mann Egerton’s…
Jamie kindly proceeded to give me several photographs, and some personal memories of ‘Corsair’, which I’ll write about next time. Along with how I fixed the stem!!
A Broadsman 