Dauntless News
Issue 3 - November 1997
Chairman Membership Secretary Editor
& Treasurer
Robert Gray Alan Holland John Langrick
5 Trinity Grove 115 Station Avenue 10 St James Avenue
Greenwich Wickford Thorpe Bay
London SE10 8TE Essex SS11 7AY Essex SS1 3LH
0181-469 0779 01268 733651 01702 588199
In this issue:
Introduction
Introduction
Ruskin
In this third issue of the Dauntless News, I have some great news with regards
the history of Dauntless boats. Our intrepid reporter (me) has been delving back
into the history of both the Dauntless company and the origin of Dauntless boats,
from fun boats, canoes, dinghies, whalers, fishing boats, motor cruisers and yachts
and have discovered a great deal of information..
In this research I have to say a big thank-you to Keith Patten and wife Marian.
Keith is Reg Patten's son and Reg as you may know was the foreman at Dauntless when
the first sailing and motor cruisers that we all recognise, were built. Keith now
owns Sea King Yachts at Leigh on Sea, a company set up by his father Reg after leaving
Dauntless on the 29th October 1958.
Sadly Reg died in February 1976 and with him went a lot of history. However while
clearing Reg's loft, Keith and his mum have discovered a great deal of documentation
and photographs which will enable us to reconstruct much of the past. I have made
copies of all the materials for our files , much I hope to share with you in this
and future newsletters. In this issue of the Dauntless News, I hope to start to
tell of some of that history.
One of the most exciting finds is the first copy that I have seen of the true
lines of a Dauntless yacht, not those published in the Boatman magazine a while
ago, (which were of a design by J.D.Delgarno, named Lady Winifred and commissioned
in 1946), but of an actual Dauntless yacht. You will see this reproduced above next
to the index. My belief is that this is the first time these lines have ever been
published.. More on this later in the section 'A meeting with Keith Patten'. Incidentally,
I am pleased to welcome Keith as a new member of the Dauntless Association, which
brings our numbers up to 54.
Other items in this issue include a write up on the meeting at Shotley and the
1997 Benfleet meeting where we met with 22 members and had 5 Dauntlesses tied up
on the slip-way at Benfleet Yacht Club.
Just a final note in this introduction. Some people have queried just who to
contact to request information, Well query no more and sorry for any confusion.
Please call any of the numbers above and we will get back to you. However, membership
and archive details are best sent to Alan Holland and any articles for this newsletter
to me. Cheers!
John Langrick (Ed)
A meeting with Keith Patten
I was delighted to meet Keith Patten earlier in August when I visited his yard
at Leigh on Sea in order to invite him to the Annual Dauntless pilgrimage to Benfleet
Creek and the Benfleet Yacht Club. Although just a boy when his father worked as
foreman at the Dauntless yard, he had great memories to recall of those early days
of building Dauntless Boats. Since then we have met again and Keith has loaned me
a whole catalogue of documentation which should enable us to piece together the
history of the yard. These include:
Keith has kindly allowed me to copy these for our records and should you wish
to see them, we will have them on display at future meetings. Also should you want
a copy of any of the above materials, we can oblige, but would charge a small fee
simply to cover cost of materials and copying.
.
The young lad in the picture is Keith Patten, taken by his father at the creek
outside the Dauntless Yard in Benfleet. If you look carefully, you will see a small
shed behind him. This was the 'privy' that had to be emptied, once a day, at the
top of the tide by one of the young apprentices!
Keith remembers his father building boats, generally two at a time, and indeed
his father building a boat for his own use, a boat named 'ACHIEVEMENT'.
We now have photographs of Reg launching and Reg and Keiths mum sailing her.
Unfortunately they would not reproduce well enough for this newsletter.
A look into the past
From the records (which date back to the mid 20's, it appears that the Dauntless
company, based then at Leigh-on-Sea, specialised in building smaller craft such
as dinghies, sailing boats up to 17'. Small rowing boats and sailing dinghies referred
to as 'flatties' seem a particular speciality, although there are records of boats
being built up to 30'.
One of my first memories of 'taking to the water', aged about 6-7, was on the
Mere, a lake at the foot of Olivers Mount at Scarborough, Yorkshire, in either paddle
boats or small canoes. I specifically remember two canoes named 'BUFFALO' and 'BISON',
There in the catalogue are examples of these exactly these craft, built by Dauntless
all those years ago. Other craft include Canadian canoes and those small motorised
boats that I also remember motoring around lakes in my youth.
The yard was owned by 'Skipper' Clayton and Reg Patten joined Dauntless as an
apprentice. Reg was always recognisable as he always wore a clean white cap. Keith's
mums first recollection of Reg seeing his white hat alone moving beyond a wall near
the yard in Leigh-on-Sea.
Around t 1939 it is possible to put some Christian names to the workers . The
names are recorded in Reg's note book on what appears to be the layout of a football
team from years ago. We can only assume that it was made up of workers from the
Dauntless yard, but it could be a red herring as it may just simply have been a
local team that Reg played for.
Stevens
David Chris
Tom Griffiths
Profitt
The names of workers are more definitely marked later in this note book where
it appears that Reg must have made a note when his work-mates borrowed tools, of
perhaps tools that were needed to be purchased?
Harry Sash cramp
Les Large screwdriver
Joe Large, long & small screwdrivers
Davey 1 set of twist bits
Wally 1 spokeshave
You will see above, a photograph of 'Skipper' Clayton and the words 'Your
enquiries and orders will receive my personal attention. James Clayton (Managing
Director)'. The pictures above come from what appears to be the first Dauntless
catalogue published about 1936. In the catalogue as reference is a cutting from
'The Southend Standard' on Sept 5th 1935 which reads:
'CROWSTONE SAILING CLUB.
On Friday it was decided to hold a sailing dinghy race to the Chapman Light.
Owing to the heavy seas and strong winds, the course was shortened, however, to
one from the club moorings, round the Low Way buoy, LSC buoy in the Ray and back.
Of the four boats entered, three were Dauntless 'Flatties'. The first beat to the
Low Way mark was the most difficult and the seas were so big that, at times, the
small sails of the competing boats were lost from sight. The race was nevertheless
completed without mishap.'
At the outbreak of the war, Skipper moved the whole Dauntless company, staff
as well, to Welshpool. It is assumed that he thought there was a risk at the time
of air raids and it was thought Wales a far better location at that time. The staff
lived in a house near the yard at Welshpool and Reg Patten's wife looked after the
house for all. Inevitably some of the staff got home-sick and returned to Leigh.
Some local labour was therefore employed to replace some of those who returned.
In the archives we have photographs of this yard, and some of the Whalers that
were built for the Admiralty at that time. Among some of the papers Keith lent me
are books and plans which record build details of many Dauntless craft in those
days, including the list and cost of materials. Again, I have copied these for our
records. The Dauntless company also made novelties, I assume as an alternative source
of income. The following is a letter head at that time:
While in Wales the yard appears to have concentrate on dinghies and whalers for
the Admiralty and War Department, building sometimes 10 or more at the same time.
Above is stationary still used after the return to Canvey. You see what is possibly
the build number, these are not listed our current records which start at 301 in
1946, but would appear to concur. It could be that the 'Job Number' later translated
to the build number, but one has to believe that, as some dinghies were built to
order 20 or more at a time, the job number, number, if a build number would be far
higher.
Keith Patten tells me that, as a young child he remembers that this is about
the time that the Dauntless company returned to Canvey Island. It is about that
time that Mr Clayton died. It is said that, after a personal crisis, he committed
suicide by walking into the sea at Conwy, North Wales.
It must have been when Reg Patten was in Wales that he first got the design ideas
for the Dauntless yachts and cruisers. Keith Patten brought a number of models,
made by his father, to the August Dauntless meeting earlier this year. It is thought
that one of the models, that of a clinker sloop, was built in 1945.
The model is similar to RUTH with individual wooden planks and intricate internal
detail. Keith's mum remembers Reg building this at home and certainly dates to prior
to any of the Dauntless cruisers and yachts recorded. The papers also include the
many hand drawn sketches of the Dauntless 20' sloop and the 20' cruiser from frame
detail to the of the interior lay-out which appears to vary from boat to boat.
The first Dauntless yachts with the design we are familiar with started in 1946
which was when Alan Holland's RUTH was built. They were built usually two at a time,
side by side in the shed. In that same year Dauntless was contracted to build Lady
Winifred, a much larger boat to the design of AG Delgarno. It is the lines of this
boat which was mistaken in the past to be that of a 'standard Dauntless' and published
as such in John Leather's article in the Boatman magazine. Incidentally, the plans
assumed that Lady Winifred would be built carvel, in the event she was built clinker,
much to the surprise of the owner! The details of the building of this boat were
published in The Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly in January 1948. Workers at the
yard at that time, verified in the records as being responsible for the building
of craft were:
Reg Patten (Foreman) Syd Lattimer (Manager)
Johnny Jones Reg Wright
Alan Holborow Charlie Roberts
Fred Harris 'Andrews'
Jim Salter
Other boats were also built that were not to the Dauntless design for either
motor cruisers or yachts. For example they built a 24' carvel fishing also to the
design of A.G Delgarno. Again, this is featured in October 1947 Motor Boat and Yachting.
Prior to this there was also a single carvel Dauntless yacht built. She is now called
'SARCELLE', originally 'TEAL', number 1082. Again Reg's notes record details of
her being built.
I found it fascinating that, among the hand written notes were the detail of
the building of RUTH, Alan Holland's Dauntless), and PAX, now owned by Dauntless
Association member Tony Coles. All these notes are in Reg's hand as he took details
from the client and recorded them in this booklet. The items were ticked off as
they were implemented. The book also records the engine numbers, usually Stuart
Turner. Details of other early Dauntless yachts are also included and we hope to
re-unite these with other members as we locate them.
Of course this information only continues until Reg left Dauntless in 1958, but
Dauntless Association member Ed White, who was an apprentice during this time remembers
well when Reg left taking only the tools that belonged to him, leaving behind the
Dauntless history to start afresh at Sea King.
After Reg left, Fred Harris took over as foreman and built the later Dauntless.
The bow of the Dauntless became more raked and many variants included adding more
planks to increase head-room. My Dauntless SWANTI is an example of this. It also
became more common to extend the cabin sides, almost to the edge of the hull, thereby
increasing beam inside the cabin. Some Dauntless yachts were also built with external
ballast and bilge keels, as was TYRANNOSAURUS, (owned by member Philip Everett).
Indeed some of the very latest Dauntless 23 & 24 yachts had standing headroom.
In the 1950's Syd's brother Ken left the garage he was working in Leigh and joined
his brother as an engineer and installed many of the engines in the Dauntlesses
at that time.
The last wooden Dauntless we believe was built is currently moored at Pin Mill,
her current name is CONSTANCE. She is 24' on deck, gunter rig and has full standing
head room. It is believed that her first owner approached the Dauntless yard in
the late 70's and asked if they could build him a clinker sloop. It appears that
the yard had stopped building wooden yachts by then, but did have a hull, built
a while before that and now suspended from the boat-shed roof. He bought that and
had the yard finish it off. The last boat on record to have been built in the Dauntless
yard was number 1742, an 18' GRP Nelson, the only GRP boat in the records.
A big thank-you again to Keith Paten who made all the above information available,
hopefully we will find out and publish more of the history and perhaps anecdotes
in later newsletters.
Boat numbers and years built.
The following record of build numbers mapped to the year built are currently
held in the records. You may wish to check yours and please contact the Dauntless
Association if you would like any more information. If it is on record, we would
be pleased to let you have any further information.
Note that there are a few years where there is no record. We believe that this
information was lost when Canvey Island was flooded. We are trying to re-build this
section from member's boat numbers and when they believe that they were built.
Year Build no start Build no end
1946 1000 1061
1947 1063 1077
1948 1078 1124
1949 1125 1157
1950 1158 1200 (unclear)
1951 1201 1254
1952 1255 1285
1953 1286 1334
1954 1335 1462
1955 1463 No record
1956 No record
1957 No record
1958 No record
1959 No record
1960 No record 1541
1961 1542 1564
1962 1565 1581
1963 1582 1612
1964 1613 1635
Year Build no start Build no end
1965 1628 1643
1966 1644 1660
1967 1661 1674
1968 1675 1682
1969 1683 1691
1970 1692 1701
1971 1702 1707
1972 1708 1714
1773 1715 1720
1974 1721 1723
1975 1724 1730
1976 1731 1734
1977 1735 1737
1978 1738 1741
1979 1742
Association Dinner
The annual Dauntless meeting was held on the 9th August at the
Benfleet Yacht Club. This year the guest of honour was Keith Patten. Five Dauntless
Yachts met at Southend Pier to take the flood up Benfleet Creek to the Yacht Club
next to the Dauntless Yard. The five yachts were Christabel, Ruth, Sandpiper Linnea
and Swanti.
As the previous year, we had brilliant weather, arriving as the cadets at the
club were completing a week course on dinghy sailing. We usually raft up on the
slip-way at the Benfleet Yacht club but had to wait this time while the cadets completed
their 'capsize training'.
We were pleased to meet other Dauntless Association members who were already
waiting at the club after arriving by road. A special mention must be made to Tony
Coles, owner of PAX, who journeyed down from Cumbria to be with us. In all we had
27 member present for an excellent meal.
Our Chairman (Robert Gray) made all welcome and the 'Dauntless chat' continued
late into the evening. Keith Patten brought along some half models of Dauntless
yachts plus, as I mentioned earlier, what is believed to be a preliminary model
of a dauntless yacht, complete with clinker planks and complete interior. With countless
other photographs and memorabilia, there was much of interest to all Dauntless owners.
We have tried to copy and archive all this and other information in our Dauntless
Archives.
A big thank-you again on behalf of the Dauntless Association to all those members
who came to the dinner, we propose another meeting to be scheduled around the same
time in 1998. We look forward to seeing you all there.
TO SHOTLEY & IPSWICH (AND BACK)
by Alan Holland
Over the last few years, the Shotley Classic Boat Festival has become a focus
for many traditional boats, be they smacks, racers, or cruising boats. Needless
to say, the Dauntless Company is usually represented by a small but regular flotilla
from various corners of the Thames Estuary,
During the course of the 1995 Festival, four Dauntless owners gathered round
a well-laden table for a convivial evening. Somebody half-seriously proposed the
formation of a Dauntless Society. It was immediately agreed that this was an excellent
idea, and the need for various offices such as president, vice-president, secretary,
newsletter editor, treasurer etc, was rapidly identified, together with executive
and regional committees, and so on at considerable length. However it appeared that
no one present could quite spare the time to actually carry out any of these functions,
and after a few more pints the notion evaporated into good intentions.
It was not until the following year, with Robert Gray's letter to The Boatman,
that The Dauntless Association finally got under way, on a more modest scale.
RUTH, my 20-foot bermudan-rigged Dauntless, missed the '96 Shotley rally, due
to some badly timed but essential repair work. Things looked more promising for
1997 except that the Festival was scheduled to start on Thursday 19 June, and this
new mid-week arrangement prevented my son from crewing with me. So the passage from
Paglesham was to be solo, and in order to allow for a leisurely trip, and a night
in Pyefleet, I was on board at 0945 on the preceding Tuesday.
At HW (1100) we (RUTH and I) were underway sloop-rigged in overcast conditions
with the wind rising 4 Easterly. Good progress was made down to the Branklet, at
the confluence of the Roach and Crouch rivers in sheltered water, then a couple
of long and short legs got us out to Shore Ends. Here the seas were beginning to
come lumpy, not to RUTH's liking, and less to mine, the wind having gone slightly
north of east. Both sky and sea were slate-grey, except for the white horses, and
there was not another craft in sight.
It was just half-ebb, theoretically at least in our favour, but the wind over
tide conditions were steadily knocking the way off RUTH's shoal-draft hull. I was
reluctant to rely on the engine for my passage, as I had recently carried out some
repairs which had yet to be fully proven. Having barely sighted the Rays'n buoy,
I ran back from the Outer Crouch and anchored under the slight lee of the north
shore at the "Holliwell" racing buoy, consoling myself with the thought
of a day in hand, and a couple of mugs of tea. It proved to be an uncomfortable
berth however, and RUTH chucked herself about in a most disorderly manner, presumably
due to the ebb out of the Roach. A shift across the river to Clark's Corner cured
the problem, and a rather disappointing day was finally brightened by the sight
of the Mistley barge REMINDER coming up under tops'l and fores'l, to disappear round
to Paglesham on the early flood. Later, her former Horlock stablemate XYLONITE motored
down from Burnham way and anchored less than a cable below RUTH.
Wed 18 June. Forecast S going SW 3-4 possibly 5 later.
A calm night was followed by a good breakfast. The sun glittered on the "Big
H" on Foulness, accompanied by a steady southerly breeze. I paced the deck
impatiently until 0930, two hours before HW, then got the chain up-and-down. Main,
staysail and jib were hoisted, the anchor broken out, and bobstay set up. As RUTH
settled on her inshore course, the clinking of XYLONITE's windlass pawls could just
be heard across the water, and her tops'l started to creep up. She crossed the tideway
to the north shore, then to my surprise and delight RUTH overhauled one of the fastest
barges in the current fleet. Then she sheeted in her main... but we stayed within
shouting distance until the first of the Dengie target beacons, having both cut
well inside the Rays'n buoy (I did not see it).
At 1230 RUTH brought the NW Knoll abeam, shortly after which the slightly confused
seas of the converging ebbs were encountered. With a brilliant sun and quartering
breeze, Clacton Pier was passed at 1330 (no thoughts of Pyefleet now), and Walton
Pier at 1445, where we sheered out to avoid a large rectangular area marked out
with lobster pots, which was certainly different to the usual apparently random
scattering. A little later we were overhauled by the big bawley GOOD INTENT out
of St Osyth. Shaping for Harwich brought the strengthening wind dead aft, and this
partly influenced my decision not to enter Shotley lock that evening, preferring
the idea of a quiet anchorage somewhere in the Stour.
On a run, RUTH's masthead-to-bowspritend jib is her best sail, but with the wind
anywhere forward of the beam it can be a liability in a strong breeze and restricted
waters. I held on to it past the Pye End, then reluctantly hove to just before Dovercourt
Breakwater, and got it down. I noticed that GOOD INTENT had held the wind well on
her starboard quarter right out beyond the Landguard, then made one gybe straight
into the harbour.
Feeling slightly more comfortable under reduced sail, but still on a dead run,
my intention was to get up past Parkeston in the lee of the S shore, and avoid crossing
the deep channel at all if there was nothing on the move at Parkeston Quays. Crossing
the Shelf, I passed outside a yacht and a fishing-boat on permanent moorings just
off the old Navy Yard, and prepared to gybe and alter course to the east. There
was a grinding and bumping sound from astern and the tiller jumped in my hand as
the rudder-plate bounced and hinged up. Not sand, not shingle, but rocks, less than
2 feet below! It was 1715, just about low water... so be warned! This was in the
area known as the Guard, well north of the Cliff Foot rocks.
Having cleared this hazard more by luck than judgment, I gybed and headed east,
still south of the dredged channel. Shotley did not look particularly inviting,
but I spotted some moored yachts close inshore in the bight just past Harwich town.
Dropping the plate and hauling sheets, I decided to have look, as it would be ideal
for popping across to Shotley in the morning. As I closed, however, the local boats
did not look at all comfortable, sheering and jumping about in a surprising manner
for the prevailing state of wind and tide.
I bore away and passed Parkeston, where all was quiet. Just before Wrabness,
as the first of a line of heavy mooring buoys is reached, there is another bight
called Copperas Bay, a tree-lined bird sanctuary. Once again RUTH nosed shorewards
until the wind was completely masked, the plate came up, and the anchor went down
in two feet of unruffled water a few yards from a miniature sand-spit that was just
about to disappear beneath the early flood. Here indeed was Dauntless country, and
complete peace and solitude. It was 1800.
Thu 19 June - S4 - rain.
Departed Copperas Bay 0800 under power in steady rain. Alvin (the Albin) slowly
made progress over the flood past the beacon marking the nasty-looking remains of
the wharf at Erwarton Ness, and the equally depressing (at that hour) front window
of the Bristol Arms (I had somehow got on the lee shore while sorting out warps
and fenders). I had already convinced myself that there would be the usual delays
locking into the marina, so when passing the entrance beacons, I was surprised to
see the light change from red to green. I started the run in, and with a fresh following
breeze, I was concentrating on the pontoon when looking up, I then realised that
the lock gates were open, which only proves that sometimes the eyes don't see what
they would like to see.
Now... Ease revs .. and blow sideways? Into reverse...stern goes out... well
just sheer in, bung her into neutral, and jump for it with both warps in hand and
hang on to the old girl. At least the lock's empty. It works.
0930 moored up at far end with two or three other early arrivals - no other Dauntlesses
yet.
1400 SWANTI arrived from Waltons.
Fri 20 June FC SE 5
Crewed on SWANTI to Pin Mill. Lunch at Butt. PM S6 & rain - a very uncomfortable
trip back. Dick took tumble in cockpit and bruised ribs.
PM Supper on SWANTI
Sat 21 June FC S/SW 5-6
Heavy showers - listened to cricket - PM Bristol Arms with SWANTI's crew for
a good supper.
Sun 22 June FC SW/NW 4-5-6
Thunder - rain - very breezy outside.
1100 family arrived from Woking and Wickford - sunny. Took three-year-old grandson
round marina in borrowed inflatable and borrowed lifejacket.
Mon 23 June FC W 4-5
Shifted RUTH to Dauntless corner. Lazy day.
Robert and William arrived by car, CHRISTABEL having been deterred by foul weather
at Queenborough.
PM informal Dauntless get-together in bar - Peter and Nick crew of DORMOUSE,
John Langrick of SWANTI and CHRISTABEL's crew. Lena Reekie sent apologies as LINNEA
aground in Walton Backwaters. Nightcaps on board RUTH
Tue 24 June FC NW 5-6 later 3-4
1130 RUTH locked out - William crew. Robert crewed on SWANTI. DORMOUSE and Crabber
MOULIN VERT in company. M/sailed to Pin Mill 1230 arr Pin Mill - Lunch at B&O.
Sailed back - strong S breeze. Alongside pontoon - then caught stern warp round
screw in lock - red face! Heaved her through, borrowed dinghy and cleared it without
wetting elbows. Not many yachts are so forgiving.
Wed 25 June FC SW/SE 3-7
1100 RUTH locked out - JL crew. Sailed sloop-rigged to Mistley, arr 1300 - rain,
followed by rain. Lunch at Thorn - very jolly. Dep Mistley 1615 HW - rain. Sailed
to Shotley - very lumpy below Wrabness - got set onto rusty buoy. Picked up pink
buoy off Shotley 1830 - very windy.
1900 locked in and moored a/s SWANTI.
PM - roast beef etc with DORMOUSE crew.
Thu 26 June FC NE 5-6 rain. The end of Shotley for RUTH - a wet and windy week,
but not yet quite finished, as we now look forward to Sail Ipswich 97!.
1100 RUTH locked out - destination Ipswich Dock - John L crew. Close reaching
breeze - sloop-rig. Barges at Woolverstone incl L DAPHNE, HYDROGEN etc
1230 sailed under Orwell Bridge with dredger SAMUEL ARMSTRONG close astern.
1300 picked up mooring off Fox's Marina - waited for tide.
1600 Locked in Ipswich Wet Dock - moored alongside Cranfields'.
with CENTAUR, WYVENHOE, MARJORIE, IRONSIDES. Met Jimmmy Lawrence and Gary Butler
- no berths available on MARJORIE or CENTAUR for Pin Mill Barge Match.
PM - discharged crew - beer at dockside bar - taxi to Shotley - roast beef and
more beer. Joined SWANTI as mate.
Fri 27 June - No FC S5 wet, wet, wet. Rain swept horizontally across the top
of Shotley lock.
1200 lunchtime beer with JL, Lena and Hans (Heybridge Crabber)
1400 SWANTI dep Shotley - Two reefs to Ipswich - nonstop rain.
1615 locked into Ipswich Dock - moored on smack tier - seventeen bottoms out!
Was keen to check RUTH so went straight ashore - over sixteen reefed bowsprits -
soaked but happy.
PM locked into Lord Nelson - Buckshee jazz - JL & AMY bawley crew.
Sat 28 June - Warm & sunny.
0630 SWANTI dep Ipswich for Paglesham. Barges locked out for Pin Mill Match.
Festival day in Ipswich Dock - toured Polish & French square-riggers, listened
to band, occasionally stood-by RUTH (now the only Dauntless present) and entertained
visitors. Attended Lady Mayoress' function at the Corn Exchange in company with
crew of Crabber MOULIN VERT - fireworks - late night. Congratulations to the city
of Ipswich for a well organised and enjoyable event.
Sun 29 June - Festival Day 2 - RAINBOW's 100th birthday. PM - MOULIN VERT, RAINBOW,
HAZEL MAY etc departed. I needed to be home by Tuesday AM and had decided to go
by train so I could enjoy the sail back later. Fish and chip supper. Overcast, and
dock looked empty and quite desolate. Met Lena who had come to Ipswich by car. She
had put out from Shotley on Sat AM but turned back at the Medusa due to heavy weather.
LINNEA was booked into Shotley for a week.
Mon 30 June FC N/NW 4-5-6 Rain
FC NW/SW 4-5-6
Cabin heater on - rain
FC W/S 4-5-6 Rain
A very wet and dismal day in Ipswich - free night in Dock.
Tue 1 July FC SW 4-5
0730 underway from Cranfields' wharf - berthed at Neptune Marina. Booked in for
seven days.
1000 dep Ipswich by train.
1200 arr home - windy but dry at last.
Six days at home...
Mon 7 July FC NW 3 - sunny
0845 dep Wickford by train
1112 arr Ipswich - checked out RUTH and lock procedure - OK.
1400 RUTH underway - locked out of Ipswich Dock. Made sail off Cliff Quay by
ENA - Wind SE 2 - so much for forecast!
M/sailed down Orwell & across Harwich Harbour. Crossed channel from Shotley
Spit to Guard buoy, passing ahead of outgoing ferry from Parkeston on increased
revs. ENA motored down astern and brought up inside Guard buoy, then made sail and
headed back up Orwell.
RUTH steered for Walton Backwaters entrance, passing DORMOUSE outward bound.
Anchored in two feet on port side of Red No 6 buoy at 1900 (low water). Good supper
(curry and water melon) and a very quiet night.
Tue 8 July FC Var 2-3
0815 up anchor and sailed towards Pye End on last of ebb.
0845 shaped out to Naze with Alvin as wind Southerly 2.
1030 Walton Pier - tacked ship & Alvin off.
1045 progress very slow - Alvin on!
1200 Clacton Pier
1300 three-quarter mile N of Bench Head. Wind S freshening - Alvin off. Course
270.
1400 half-mile S of Nass beacon. Sailing fast on broad reach - course 255.
1445 HW - off Pewit Island hove to and handed all canvas. Started Alvin and entered
Bradwell Creek from West end. Passed marina entrance and exited creek.
1525 anchored just outside channel close in to sea-wall under power-station.
Large fry-up for lunch/tea. Had promised to phone wife so radioed Marina on 37 for
berth, acknowledged with Echo 29.
1800 entered marina - berth E29 at far end otherwise marina appeared to be full.
Berthing a set-piece including three-point turn but no witnesses. Checked in at
office (£9 per night), phoned Cordelia, visited club bar (exceedingly quiet)
and Green Man (very quiet). Hungry again so curry on board - quite a quiet night.
Wed 9 July FC E/NE 3-4 - bright and sunny
0900 LW - dep Bradwell Marina under power. Kept to channel but rudder-plate touched
several times in the Creek. Passed inside Training Wall and kept as close as possible
to mud, as tide now flooding. Wind Easterly 3, & thick fog blowing in. Power
station lost to sight although still close astern. Stayed within sight of cant edge
& withies - less than 50 metres. Encountered yacht anchored close in to first
of wave-break lighters - owner ashore presumably after winkles.
1015 off Sales Pt fog cleared - sunny - headed for outer wreck beacon. Wind E
by S 3 veering slightly.
1145 Alvin off - she sailed herself on a broad reach from the Bachelor down past
Holliwell Pt, while I sat on the foredeck - the sweetest few hours of the entire
trip.
1615 anchored Quay Reach on Foulness side - HW.
1800 fry-up and Romanian red. A quiet night. Nearly home.
Thur 10 July FC NE 3-4
1030 overcast. Set staysail only, for a very leisurely sail up to Paglesham on
first of flood. Followed S side of Wallasea about six feet from mud edge. Overtaken
by family of curlew traveling on foot. RUTH was back in home waters after three
weeks.
1140 Picked up mooring where dinghy was still made fast, tidied ship, and rowed
ashore, wondering if car was still there...
Boats and Bits For Sale
Please note that the Dauntless Association takes no responsibility
for any inaccuracies in any statements in this section.
BLUE DOLPHIN Mk 1 Dauntless. One of the first Dauntless ever built.
Gaff rig, 20'. Yanmar diesel 1GM10. This cruising yacht has been completely rebuilt.
Lying at Faversham, contact Alan Staley (01795 530668). £9,000
21'Dauntless Sloop. Mk 2, Gunter rig auxiliary sloop and although
everything is there, is in a 'scruffy' state. Hull mahogany on oak, appears sound,
but decks need attention. One of the bits also needs replacement. Hull appears generally
sound. Engine is a Stuart 8, fit only for major re-build or spares. There is an
outboard bracket fitted. The interior appears to be original. Lying at Paglesham,
Nr Rochford in Essex. Contact Paglesham Boatyard (David Barke) 01702 258885. £750
or offer.
Dauntless transom. All that remains (and could be saved) from Dauntless
Gunter Sloop SELCHIE. Now converted to coffee table! Wife does not like it and therefore
needs a new home, either to replace similar or to a home with more 'understanding'
other half. Not to be used for other purposes please, but make me an offer. John
Langrick (01702 588199).
Dauntless Association Burgee
In an earlier newsletter, I announced that we were producing a Dauntless Association
burgee. We have to thank many members who submitted various designs which were presented
at the Benfleet meeting in August 97, We chose a red and black little number with
a capital 'D' with a smaller capital 'A'. The top half of the burgee to be red,
the lower black with a contrast where the letters move from each colour.
I have a quote to produce 25 as a minimum order of £15 per item. Now I
don't want to place an order unless I know that they will be sold, so if you are
interested and would like to commit to one, please call me (John Langrick 01702
599199, or send me a note. Please do not send me any money until I can be sure that
we can muster this minimum requirement. (Incidentally, if anyone could get a more
competitive quote I would appreciate it!)
And finally..
Should you have any Dauntless boats in your vicinity and the owner does not know
about the Dauntless Association, please give them the following information or leave
on the boat. Thanks!