1 |
Excuse me. I heard you can help me out. I am building a boat. It’s a racing dinghy. I need someone who knows his way around ships for some consultations. |
2 |
A dinghy is a small sailing boat made for racing. I am trying to improve the design of the International 14 which is a very popular racing dinghy. I will need more plywood for the construction. |
3 |
I have been racing on the International 14 since my childhood. My first ship was an attempt to copy the design. I even made my own sail which looked pretty terrible now that I remember it. |
4 |
I have just come back from Ceylon. I was stationed there at the Naval Air Station in Puttalam. I built a sharpie there and sailing on her gave me some ideas for the dinghy improvement. |
5 |
I got some inspiration from the local fishing boats in Ceylon when building the Fast Lady. That is the name of the boat I mentioned. She was really fast, a pity I had to leave her there. |
6 |
A friend asked me to build this custom dinghy for him. I want to include the flat bottom the sharpies are known for. The International 14 is great, but I know there is room for improvement. |
7 |
I should take a rest and eat something. There is a race tomorrow in Itchenor. I am planning on taking part in it so I better get some rest. |
8 |
I managed to complete the boat’s hull. I will call her Dingbat. My friend already expects her for the next race, so I am going to buy a sail to save some time. I can’t wait to see her on the water. |
9 |
That was a disaster. The dinghy fell apart in the middle of the race. I will have to adjust my design significantly. Help me find the wreck. It must have been carried away to the rocks on the beach. |
10 |
At least my friend is ok and was unhurt in the accident during the race. I promised him to fix Dingbat. It shouldn’t be hard now that I know where the issue was. |
11 |
Dingbat is ready for another test run. Do you have any experience with sailing on dinghies? Should you know some sailors with such expertise, send them to me. |
12 |
Dingbat is seaworthy, and my friend is happy. What’s more, I founded a new sailing magazine, Yachts and Yachting. It should help me get some more cash for further boat designs. |
13 |
I am working on another upgraded International 14. I am aiming for the Prince of Wales trophy race next month. Help me get the material I will need. |
14 |
The 14 is a racing dinghy manned by two sailors. I plan to extend her length to 18 feet and use different materials for the hull. That should improve her speed. |
15 |
Many others are trying to improve the International 14. But the latest attempts have been largely failures. This race is my chance to prove my design. |
16 |
We won the Prince of Wales trophy! Together with the award comes a fine sum of money. Maybe I will be finally able to build the house I promised my wife. |
17 |
The IRYU or International Yacht Racing Union has requested new designs for a 2-man dinghy for the Olympics. I already have a few ideas for a new boat in mind. Let's do this! |
18 |
Apart from wood, I will experiment with some modern materials such as glass fiber. My friend Max is financing the construction, and he has no shortage of financial resources. |
19 |
I am building the boat at the Warsash boatyard on Hamble river. Come and take a look. I think this is my best design so far. Bring your sailors too. I would like some input from them. |
20 |
The construction is going great, but it has become more expensive than I planned. I still need to buy the sails, and we are not using some cheap cloth. |
21 |
Coronet, my newest boat, will be jury-rigged with International 14 sails. That means the rigging will be only temporary. In the future, I may come up with a better sail plan. |
22 |
I need to make a few last adjustments on Coronet. I have enough material, but it seems I am all out of nails already. Can you help me out with that? |
23 |
Coronet is ready for her first race. The ideal opportunity is the Round the Island Race. Let’s get her on the water and prove the worth of my innovative design. |
24 |
We didn’t win the race due to a sudden wind hole short before the finish line. Still, I think Coronet performed marvelously. I am confident she will do well in the IRYU trials. |
25 |
The trials are taking part in La Baule, France. I still haven’t figured out how to get there with the boat. Maybe we could use one of your cargo ships to cross the Channel and then load her on a trailer. |
26 |
Finally, we are here. The trials will begin tomorrow. Let’s relax this evening. Maybe we will have time for a bit of fishing too. It has been ages since my last fishing trip. |
27 |
I see the regulations were taken pretty loosely. There are two Flying Dutchman dinghies even though the rules stated there can be only one boat from every class. |
28 |
I am not worried. Coronet is a splendid boat, and no matter what competition brings, we are ready to face them. I need to go pay the docking fees now. |
29 |
Coronet won all the trials, yet they chose a different boat for the Olympics. Don’t ask me why? Maybe the Flying Dutchman carries some magic of its namesake after all. |
30 |
The French Caneton Association reached out to me. They liked Coronet and would like a new addition to their fleet. However, they requested I shorten the boat. I can do that. |
31 |
The Caneton people want a 5-meter performance dinghy. I will have to adjust it a bit to fit the current norms of boat building. So the new boat will be 5,05m long. |
32 |
I have completed the hull without problems, but the boat's interior is giving me some trouble. I need to consult this with my fellow designer. Care to join us for dinner? |
33 |
Jack is a great boat designer. He knew right away how to fix the interior. I need to get him a few bottles of French wine as a thank you. He is a true wine fanatic. |
34 |
The French love the new Coronet. They adopted her right away, but they wanted to give her some weird name. In the end, she will be known as the 505, corresponding to her length. |
35 |
Thanks to the association adopting 505, my boat has become popular. There are already first races on 505’s being held in France and Britain. Do you know any sailors who would like to participate? |
36 |
The IYRU accredited the 505 with an international status. The boats are now being built all over the world. That also means I have gained recognition, and the new contracts are piling up. |
37 |
The success of 505 surprised me, but I am not resting. I have a lot of commissions for new boat designs. I have hardly time to race myself anymore. It’s a pity. I miss racing. |
38 |
Lately, I have been concentrating on designing larger yachts. Racing dinghies were my passion, but as a boat designer, I need to progress into more complex projects. |
39 |
How about a friendly race, captain? I am just finishing my latest dinghy and I would like to test her. Bring a boat and let’s sail! |
40 |
I won! Don’t be disappointed. I am sure you will win next time. Come, let me buy you some fish and chips. No, you don’t have to catch your own fish only if you insist. |
Final |
Thank you for accompanying me on this voyage, captain. Let me reward you and wish you fair wind and following seas. |