We woke slowly (for some reason), with mist lazily rising from the water. I set to the duties of tea-making for the crew. Some of them were more ‘perky’ than others the Skipper notes… (!)
A brief quant later, both vessels were moving quite nicely onto the Thurne, with ‘F’ sporting her new, oversize Cornish ensign. Several infuriating windshifts later, we had tacked our way into Potter, and temporarily moored alongside a Richardson’s bathtub.
This gave us a brief refuge to catch our breath, before we all piled into ‘F’ through the bridges, Haiwaii 5-0 style!
War canoe.
Unfortunately, during this manuevre ‘Corsair’ was struck (hard) by an incredibly unpleasant, brain-dead knuckle dragging dickhead who piloted a hire cruiser with about as much aplomb as a wrecking ball. Fruitless discussion with them left negoiations in the hands of the hire yard & myself. Even now, as I write this I remember what a complete & utter person of questionable parentage he was…
However, ice creams, quiche & a quick cuppa soon removed such issues from our minds, and we set off on our voyage to Hickling. Unusually, with no sea breeze, light airs continued, allowing Nina to helm, with Mr B & Billy crewing.
Why let a glorious day with friends get in the way of a petty tacking duel though?! Once on Heigham Sounds we set about with a sweet-looking ‘F’, swapping tacks & exchanging insults as we progressed up past Deep-go-Dyke.
‘F’ – in our duel (speed 1Kn)
Once on the broad itself, the sea breeze did appear (finally!) & allowed us some decent long tacks with Mr B helping the jib over. Keeping pace with ‘Corsair’ though was a very sprightly dinghy – known as a bugle – it looked nippy!
We moored on the staithe (expertly helmed by Billy) – and all set about cleaning/smartening ‘Corsair’ in advance of ‘E’ arriving.
Hickling – perfect evening.
So, finishing early – I can only note that I am sat in the blazing sunshine, listening again to a live-band, feeling totally content.
Today started with a sense of deja vu… Although without such a vibrant soundtrack, Mr Jalil was nontheless forced to vacate his bunk in search of drier sanctuary in the cockpit…
(At the time, we ended up duct-taping bin bans to the cabin side & routing them behind the bunk-shelf – diverting water mostly away from the mattress and sleeping crewmate)
This was to prove a persistant issue – and it wasn’t until 2016 I was in a position to attempt a permanent repair.
After such inclemency, the weather did improve somewhat. However before I divule such metrological bumphf I should mention the nice lay who sold us eggs… It’s all in aid of ex-battery hens & extensive testing of the said eggs (with bacon & fried bread) revealed that they are DELICIOUS!
Tacking out of Hickling – note the small rig (Day 3 of double reef / No. 2 jib!)
Despite this usual ‘slog’ – we bravely carried on! (I suspect heads may have been sore after the Greyhound P.H) and began a long tack into Potter. There’s little which can be said about tacking against the tie, however if you add a narrow river, moored boats, bungalows and trees… suddenly it becomes a more ‘entertaining’ scene. One small piece of Willow was our only trophy for our endeavours!
Mooring at Potter Heigham proved to be quite eventful… The Hunter’s yacht ‘Luna’ who after several abortive attempts made a down-tide mooring which saw our harassed bowsprit bending most alarmingly. Full credit to the skipper who performed a leap worthy of a gymnast which Theo was dragged along the bank trying to tether same yacht with its bow-line. Still… it’s only varnish!
Such excitement behind us, we motored slowly out down the Thurne, before tacking up the Bure toward St. Benets, this 2nd bout of tacking proved to be the only sunny interlude of the day – something which we remembered fondly later on…
I can’t speak much for our trip up the Ant, except that I was busy repairing No. 1 jib (three repairs) and en-route we selected Neatishead as our destination for the evening.
Mooring & navigating to Neatishead requires care at the best of times, you dodge trees, motor-boats & other obstacles all the way up the dyke. So we went slowly…
… our unusual caution meant us getting caught in a viscous downpour which soaked us all to the skin. In such circumstances, we moored & ‘awned’ in record time. With both burners going on in the galley – we recreated a sauna whilst re-waterproofing Theo’s bunk with more bin bags.
Last night there was rain, not your average ‘oh dear it’ll do the garden good’ rain… but biblical, bouncing off the cabin roof deluge.
Still – could be worse!
Truthfully my first conscious memory of the day was to see Mr Jalil storming indignantly out of the cabin (whilst still in his sleeping bag) muttering something about “Mr Farrow & his so called waterproof boat” (!)
Needless to say, he slept the rest of the evening in the cockpit – a miserable experience. ‘Corsair’s’ benches are just under 6ft long, and work ideally as seats – but not beds!
Sated with a cooked breakfast (these engineers are so very tempremental) we decided to keep our cut-down rig and sedately proceeded upriver to Potter Heigham, where with ice cream & burgers we lunched with CD & co.
The calming breakfast…
Having quanted through both bridges – we were treated at this juncture to the sight of several Hunter’s yachts scattering themselves across the river.
Evidently trying to ‘shoot’ the bridges, some had masts down, some halfway up, some just were a tangle of legs, string & quants… We noted all of them were ‘uptide’ of the new bridge (how brave!)
The Hunter fleet at Potter – with an interesting yacht below the bridge
Eventually, we set sail upriver toward Hickling, sliding along as we tacked through the bungalows to Kendal Dyke.
Here we were treated to a bit of champagne sailing, the wind had filled in to a steady sea breeze and ‘Corsair’ stormed across Hickling, narrowly beating local YBOD ‘Monarch’
By now we felt truly ‘on holiday’ – Jalil managed to dry his bunk mattress in the evening sunshine, and as we were moored in the aforementioned sun, we sipped at Cab. Sauv. whilst writing this.
Afterwards in the wake of a spectacular sun-set we ventured ‘up the road’ to the Grayhound P.H. The skies were fantastic, purple even!
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 the intended order of writing, it was early 2010 when I started looking into the fate of ‘Corsair’s’ sisters. In part this was spurred on by the C&H connection to Upton.
Of course the Clipper’s also have a bigger sister – ‘Privateer’, who I will write about next.
Having his head turned by ‘Loyalist’ – Stephen left ‘Corsair’ at a boat auction in Potter Heigham. This period of her life I don’t have many details about, save what’s printed in the class listings within the ‘Green Book’.
1978; sold at boat auction.
1979-1983; owned by K.T. Henson
1984-1987; owned by P. Willen
Bizarrely – during one change of ownership – the spelling of ‘Corsair’ was corrupted to ‘Coresair’ – which wasn’t corrected until 1986!
What I do know, is that for these 9 years, ‘Corsair’ lived on the Northern Rivers, with a prolong spell moored at South Walsham Broad. Given the proximity of S.W. Broad to Martham, it’s likely that she often saw her sisters, still hard at work in the business of hire.
The other C&H yachts went to a variety of owners, but sticking to the ‘Clipper’s’ – these found their way to Martham, where they became part of the Martham Boatbuilding & Dev. Co fleet.
Known locally as ‘Martham Boats’ – they still retain an extensive fleet of wooden sailing boats, and certainly they were the only yard who saved many beautiful yachts by keeping them working long enough that private owners could be found. More info on their fleet is available here; https://www.marthamboats.com/
In 1961, Martham bought I – V, bolstering their existing fleet of yachts with these small pre-war yachts. Clipper’s I-III were still engineless (!), credit to their reputation as immortalised by ‘Blakes’ the hire agency;
“a design giving distinctly superior sailing qualities”
Perhaps more objectively, this is an insight into the post-war attitudes at Chumley & Hawke. Knowing they intended to dispose of the fleet, it may well have been economic to limit the investment in R3M Stuart Turner engines to the newer (just) yachts.
During 2010, I went and spoke with Gordon Curtis, one of the founders of the Martham fleet, to learn more about how the ‘Clipper’s’ had turned out in their ownership.
By 1965 Clipper’s I-V all had inboard engines, but had had their rigs adapted slightly. Gone were the self-tacking jibs, and in their place a smart tan suit of sails changed their appearance considerably. Also, gone the pre-war varnished top-sides replaced with white gloss.
Clipper’s – MBBD Co.
Credibly, Martham kept these pre-war yachts active for a number of years. If it hadn’t been for their intervention, I am not sure that all 6 would have survived.
They did however remain very basic with optional extras limited to a wireless radio & a rowing dinghy!
Digressing slightly, it would have been an exhilerating time for any wooden boat enthusiast to walk the bank at Martham. Woods, Powles, Chumley & Hawke, Press, Pegg & numerous other pre-war pedigree craft lined the Upper Thurne. Gordon even bought a wherry (or two)!
In fact, as a complete aside – Gordon bought the wherry ‘Hathor’ from infamous Broads navigator – ‘Claud Hamilton’. His previous wherry – ‘Claudian’ had sadly broken her back during the 1953 floods. Seen here in 1950 at Barton Regatta looking quite spritely, sailed by ‘Claud’;
Claudian – 1950 Barton Regatta
Whilst chatting, Gordon recounted how he quickly learnt how to sail ‘Hathor’ using the original pre-war cotton mainsail, until this disintegrated. She then became a houseboat, until saved by Peter Bower – founder of the current Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust.
Hathor – Martham. pic; M. Gravener.
Anyway, yes. This is writing about Clipper’s not wherries. Sorry.
Over the years, Clipper II, IV & V gradually left Martham’s fleet, with Clipper I being the last to formally retire from hire, being sold in 1998.
1998? That’s 63 years work of hire, being sailed week in, week out from Easter through to October. I’m amazed at the resilience of these dainty yachts.
Clipper III remained in Martham’s ownership, and to my knowledge was withdrawn from hire at some point in the early 1990’s. I wasn’t allowed to photograph her, but by a bizarre turn of fate – my good friends Vince & Linda had hired her in the 1970’s!
Clipper III – Vince & Linda Perry aboard.
I’m confident in saying that Clipper III is the most original to how the Clipper’s would have been in hire, having now been sojourned at rest for 30 years in her barn.
However, what’s astonishing to me, is the way in which the ‘Clipper’s’ seemingly brushed past me closely, without me knowing about them. Clipper V was bought and owned by my primary school Headteacher for example!
Both Clipper IV & V are perhaps the most significantly altered from original. Both have had their cabin’s cut-down, cockpits extended and some very neat integral topsail rigs fitted. This has made them both extremely competitive!
As an aside, the modifications carried out also haven’t spoilt the aesthetic of the Clipper’s. They retain a very sleek look, as you can see here;
Clipper IV – racing rig!
Clipper V (S/N 290) – Barton Broad
Clipper II still lives close to Martham, in fact she spends much of her time in a wet boatshed at Potter Heigham. She was reverted to varnished topsides – and although she is seen here sailing with an outboard motor mounted (sacrilege), she provides the closest aesthetic to the pre-war Clipper’s. I suspect if given a self-tacking jib, she’d be a facsimile of a 1930’s Blakes photograph.
Clipper II – Horsey Mere
Finally – Clipper I. After her exhaustive career in hire – she was owned by Robert Harris as a private yacht, and then bought back into Martham’s fleet, circa 2015. They immediately treated her to a new suit of sails, giving her a VERY similar appearance to ‘Corsair’, early 1960’s.
Clipper I & VI
What is apparent when you compare Clipper’s I-V to ‘Corsair’ is the difference that extra plank makes in terms of internal volume. I’m VERY grateful that when ‘Corsair’ was built as Clipper VI, that extra plank was added!
In 2010, Clipper’s I & VI found themselves at rest, Horsey Dyke, which started this whole process.
Clipper I & Clipper VI at rest.
So yes, in a round about way that’s the fate of all the Clippers. One day I might be lucky to get all 6 in the same place.
A Broadsman 