UNDERFALL BOATYARD, BRISTOL


C/O TIM LOFTUS West Mersea Ten-Footer


This 10ft (3.1m) gunter-rigged, centreboard dinghy was recently built by Tim Loftus of the Slipway Co-operative in Bristol’s Underfall Boatyard. She’s for an owner whose inspiration was straight from the pages of Classic Boat, more specifically a warm article by John Leather in CB15, about his own ‘West Mersea Ten-Footer’, Buzzing Bee. The type endeared itself to John for its stability, buoyancy and simplicity to row, scull or sail. The boat was drawn by Herbert Reiach, co-founder of Yachting Monthly (in 1906), for his own pleasure in around 1916. A few more were built over the years. This one, Dormouse, was built of larch on oak with copper rivets and will live on the River Torridge in North Devon. She’s believed to be the first West Mersea Ten-Footer built since the 1930s.


ROLT’S BOATYARD, BRISTOL


American classics in Britain


than double the pre-move workforce. He has found this relatively easy to do, as people are often knocking on his door looking for jobs.


LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON Meanwhile, Martin Heard’s son Sam – a time-served boatbuilder and former professional rugby player – has set up in business on an adjacent site. “I used my savings from my rugby career to buy this land at the top of the creek from Dad’s estate,” he told me. “He had planned to build a house on it.” Sam, however, has built a new 50 x 40ft (15 x 12.2m) workshop and is now continuing the family Gaffers and Luggers business. He owns the moulds for nine different boats, from an 8ft (2.4m) stem dinghy to a 28ft (8.5m) Falmouth Working Boat in racing and cruising versions. Sam has just one employee at the moment – Josh, who was his father’s apprentice – but he occasionally takes on extra casual labour. They have a healthy amount of new-build work ahead of them, including a 25ft (7.6m) cruising Working Boat, a 20ft (6.1m) lug-rigged Tosher, a 19ft (5.8m) fishing boat and two Picarooners.


Above: Martin Heard’s son Sam, a time-served boatbuilder, has set up his own business on an adjacent site


Two of America’s most popular and archetypal boats – a Concordia Yawl and a Chris-Craft runabout – have found their way to a yard in Bristol. And not Bristol, Rhode Island, but Rolt’s Boatyard, Bristol, England. It used to be known as Bristol Classic Boat Company and in fact, it was the name change that prompted Peter Rolt to contact us. The Concordia Yawl is something of an institution. Of the 103 of these 40ft (12.2m) Raymond Hunt- designed yawls built between 1938 and 1966, 102 still survive; in fact, until last year, all still survived. This one, Live Yankee, was brought over from the US by a British owner. Her launch date will be this May/June.


Mark Rolt varnishing spars


Chris-Craft need no introduction to anyone who saw last month’s cover: they are, simply put, the original mass-manufactured, wooden runabouts. This one, a 19-footer, is also for a British owner. Other than that, the yard has been busy with bread-and-butter business like new spars and planking repairs.


USA Dorade tender


The finishing touch to Dorade (CB287) will be the replica of her 11ft (3.4m), clinker rowing and sailing tender by students at the International Yacht Restoration School on Rhode Island. Her build, in oak on oak, started in September 2011 at the behest of Dorade owner Matt Brooks. She was nearing launch as we went to press. CM


CLASSIC BOAT JUNE 2012 83


NIGEL SHARP CHRIS MUSELER


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