Wooden Boat Builder

TROY CLASS YACHT FOR SALE

TROY CLASS YACHT No 7 , SAPPHIRE is for sale.

Built by A H Watty, Fowey, in 1933, for Lord Russell of Liverpool. Sapphire is in good condition, with a sound hull, recent teak decks, good mast and rigging, and recent set of sails.

 The Troy Class race in Fowey Harbour on Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings May to Sept, specially designed for Fowey Harbour with their tall rigs, and a deep lead keel. Troys are only suitable for racing, they are not really a daysailer, or pleasure boat, you have to be a commited racer to get the best out of a Troy Class Yacht.

There is an active Class Association to encourage and improve Class Racing in Fowey Harbour, and there is an average of 12-14 boats regularly racing, with up to 18-20 at Fowey Regatta Week

Contact Marcus for more information, marcus@fowey9.freeserve.co.uk  or 07973 420568

11ft CLINKER ROWING DINGHY FOR SALE

NOW SOLD - BUT WE CAN BUILD YOU ANOTHER,  PLEASE GET IN TOUCH

We have just completed a lovely 11ft long rowing dinghy, and she is now for sale, based on the dinghy owned by Colonel Treffry in the 1930’s, built in Spruce with steamed Oak timbers, mahogany to strakes and thwarts, varnished throughout, complete with bronze rowlocks and fairleads, pair of oars, and cover.  The stern thwart has additional width, and a backboard, for the passenger to recline in comfort !

please contact Marcus for more details, 07973 420568 or email marcus@fowey9.freeserve.co.uk

PERCY MITCHELL TOSHER FOR SALE OR RESTORATION

An original 1930’s Mevagissey Tosher built by master boatbuilder Percy Mitchell of Portmellon  is ideal for restoration and renovation to either its original form, or to make a beautiful day boat with Gaff or lug rig, with either inboard or outboard propulsion - or none at all!! she has 3 sets of engine beds, fitted over the years, but none I doubt original, but her original mast step is still in place,  she is just crying out to be saved 

This boat is now available for Restoration, or sale ‘as is’ from Marcus Lewis, Unit 5 Windmill, Fowey. tel 07973 420568

The hull is not in too bad  a condition, there is some rot around the gunnels and top planks, the transom needs replacement, as do all the steamed Oak ribs, but she would require a considerable amount of work, nothing too difficult, but well worth it when done. Give me a call on 07973 420568 for more info or to view

Uffa Fox National 12 rebuild

Over the summer we have completely restored an original Uffa Fox designed National 12 sailing dinghy. built in 1948,  to the Uffa King design.

She was in a bit of a state, and needed 8 new planks, all new ribs, a lot of scraping and revarnishing, new decks, refastening, renovation of the original wooden mast and boom, replacement of a few fittings, but looks stunning now, and is being sailed again on the River Camel

Two New Sailing Dinghies Launched

Summer 2012 saw the launch of two new Fowey River Class dinghies, these had been built over the winter, and joined the fleet ,  FR 63 Kittiwake and FR64 May. They will both be racing with the fleet on the Fowey river over the summer, but can also take a small outbord and used for river trips and excursions around the estuary. Please contact Marcus if you would like more information 07973420568

New clinker dinghy launched

The latest Fowey River clinker sailing dinghy was launched a couple of weeks ago, number 61 in the fleet, named Puffling, the boat was built for world champion sailors Kim and Sarah Furniss, who intend to race competitively in the fleet at Fowey.                                                                                                                                 Kim and Sarah were world champions in the Dart 18, and also raced Tornado cats in Olympic qualifyers, but have now decided on something a little more sedate, but possibly just as challenging - racing around Fowey harbour-with its fickle winds and frustrating tides- and hopefully encouraging other Fowey River sailors to get on the water.

St. Mawes One Design in for repairs

St Mawes One Design no. 21 ‘Saskia’ is outside the workshop waiting to come in for a few repairs, and some new floorboards. Saskia took the brunt of a Ribs Outboard propellor while on her moorings in a gale, and has suffered damage to four of her topside planks on the port side. Another boat collided with her port side near the transom, and damaged the deck, rubbing strake and covering board.

St Mawes One designs were designed and built by Frank Peters at Freshwater boatyard in St Mawes, and over the years from 1923 - 1964 thirty three boats were built. Frank retired in 1964 and five years later Brian crockford built a ‘SMOD’ but it was to be another 13 years before the next boat was added to the fleet, no.35 was built by Jonathan Leach, and he has since built a further 10 boats, bringing the fleet up to 45 although 2 have been lost over the years. Thegunter rig was changed to Bermudan in 1953. More information can be found on www.stmawesod.org.uk

RUBY RELAUNCHED for REGATTA

Just in time for Fowey Regatta Week (One of the best on the South Coast) Ruby, the Troy Class Yacht was re-launched after an extensive re-build. This involved rather more than planned, but included complete re-planking, all new steamed Oak timbers, new stem, new transom and decks. She survived a tough week of racing very well, and with a fleet over twenty boats, she collected a third prize in one race. Built in 1930, she is one of the few older Troy Class yachts that has been constantly raced, so a rebuild will give her another 80 years of racing to enjoy.

In a fresh Westerly breeze on Sat 11th Sept, Ruby led the fleet out of the harbour and around 3/4 of the course, only to be overtaken on the last beat, by Troy no 26, and finished 2nd, an excellent result.

Another Fowey River Dinghy hits the Water

Penguin was launched in June, number 58 in the fleet of Fowey River Dinghies, and the fifth built by Marcus in the last few years.15 feet long, 5′9″ beam, with a steel centreplate, built of FSC Mahogany from Stones at Salcombe, with steamed Oak ribs, all fastened with traditional copper nails and rivets, with sails and cover by Mitchell Sails in Fowey, The Class has been going for 60 years, originating from a design published in Yachting Monthly. 

New Fowey River Dinghy Launched

Wednesday 28th of April saw the launch of ‘Orinoco’ the latest Fowey River Class dinghy to be built by Marcus Lewis in the workshop at Fowey, in Cornwall.

15 feet long, 5′9″ beam, clinker built of spruce and mahogany planking on steamed Oak ribs, with mahogany seats and centreplate box, all fastened with traditional copper nails and rivetted.

Orinoco is number 56 in the class, which has been going for over 60 years.(see details on other pages on site) and was taken out for a sail on Saturday 1st May by the Owner, David Cowie, and his daughter. The coloured sails are a bit of a tradition in the class, and these are certainly colourful! Sails and cover made locally by  Mitchell Sails, Fowey www.sailmakers-uk.com