Fractious


Clare McComb and Arthur Ransome authority Peter Willis describe a stand-off between a world-famous author and RORC founder EG Martin at Harry King’s Pin Mill shipyard


The third ‘row’ in this mini-series took place in 1938 between one of our best-known and loved sailing authors and a stern man whom he underestimated totally. To his cost. The result was the ruination of the much anticipated end-of-season’s cruising in his beautiful newly built cutter, Selina King; war followed swiftly the following year and put paid to everything. Post-war his doctor advised the barely used craft would be too much for him and he sold her. The unfortunate owner was Arthur


Ransome. In this instance he had been a very poor judge of character. The new dream ship was Selina, 28ft LWL, a Fred Shepherd design that had been constructed


52 SEAHORSE


biggest he had ever undertaken. He was a fine craftsman but tended to work by eye – in fact, Griffin’s owner had chosen him precisely because he did not follow ‘the machine fashion of the big yards’. As ever, traditional methods had draw-


for him at Pin Mill by Harry King, one of the old-school boatbuilders who knew almost everything there is to know about the shaping of wood into fine craft that could carry their owners through any weather, gale or calm. King’s own hands had formed many of these wonderful sturdy yachts: he also knew exactly when the twist of the tide would allow them to launch down the mud slip into the river. Harry always preferred his clients to be


elsewhere on launch day because their anxiety was a nuisance he could do well without on such tricky occasions. Barge- men, from the dark-sailed craft moored nearby, were more welcome observers, being able to lend a useful hand if needs be rather than wittering on at the side. But by the summer of 1938 Ransome


was beyond impatient, ruing the spring day he had given permission for Selina’s start to be delayed so the yard could finish off the much larger cutter, Griffin, already in the shed. Harry King could only construct one yacht at a time and this had been the


backs in terms of keeping to deadlines and efficiency of production. In addition, the client, George Martin, was nothing if not particular. He was Admiral of the RORC so Griffin was to be the club’s flagship. Several years in his youth spent working in the Brixham shipyards had also given Martin the attention to detail of a skilled shipwright… Meanwhile, suppliers and specialist fitters had been late and Griffin’s launch subject to delay after delay. By the time Selina was completed she


was finely set up to Ransome’s specifica- tions. In Thoughts on Yachts and Yachting Uffa Fox wrote that her cruising owner had been well suited to Fred Shepherd’s specialism in ‘fine sturdy cruisers’. Fox noted the long iron girder of a keel,


strong enough to ‘take the ground’ with no fear of damage, and her 5ft draught which would let her enter almost any harbour. Specially praised was the wonderful accommodation in her full and generous body, and her snug (344ft2) mainsail which could be easily handled by one man ‘in all conditions of wind and sea’.


PHOTOS BROTHERTON LIBRARY/MARTIN FAMILY/JOSEPHINE RUSSELL


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