The Salcombe Yawl is a clinker built dinghy of 16’ LOA with straight stem and transom, designed originally as a local boat for the watermen at Salcombe, who were professional fishermen earning their livelihood off the Salcombe Estuary near Kingsbridge, South Devon. The design goes back some fifty years, and has altered slightly during that time.

Just before the 1939-45 war, Morgan Giles built a Yawl, The Choice, for a client in Salcombe, which subsequently, after a number of owners, came into my possession in 1963. She was then twenty-two years old, and had a remarkable racing record. The only thing wrong was she was making a little water in the garboard planks. Apart from this, and a weathered look, she sailed remarkably well with the standard Bermudan rig, and had the original suit of cotton sails made in 1950. Her number is 7. Further Yawls had in the meantime been built by two other people in Salcombe, Cove, and Stone, all of which followed roughly the same dimensions as Choice. Jim Stone to this day has his boat Blackbird, still in first class order after thirty two years of hard sailing, both racing and instruction work.

The sail numbers have seen a meteoric rise during the last three years, from my new boat Y48 to Y68, and I have recently seen a G.R.P. one under construction at Messrs Powercraft, Salcombe, which promises to be revolutionary at least. I suppose it had to come one day, with the cost of hand made boats rising so much and the eventual shortage of spruce for the masts.

The original specifications, a copy of which I have in front of me, stipulated the cost should be not more than £50, and this was in 1939. This was the complete boat sans sails, which, compared with present prices — £550 with one suit of sails — seems almost ludicrous. I believe that the price is even as high as £580, and the builders say it is hardly worth building one even at that figure as the profit margin is shrinking so fast.

The Yawl was designed as a family boat primarily with space for four or five persons including the helmsman. With keel rising slightly fore and aft she can take the ground gently and be sailed off should one inadvertently go on the “mutty”.

These boats are first class sea boats, and very dry, with foredeck, waterways, and after deck providing plenty of stowage and a good protection from spray. Excellent for cruising, and ideal for mackerel fishing “on the way there”, they are fine for teaching old or young and safe with it. I have seen only one Yawl fill, and this was up the estuary at Salcombe and bad seamanship. It is said they can be driven hard and sailed under, which is quite feasible.

Two boats have been sold on the American market and a couple have gone down the coast of Devon and had small Stuart Turner motors installed. I am told they can be dismantled and taken out in twenty minutes should the boat be required for racing. However a small Seagull 40 plus gives sufficient power with long shaft to get you home if needs be, and I always carry this “just in case”.

The Yawl as a restricted class can be rigged either with Bermudian rig, Gaff or Yard, although for obvious reasons the Bermudian is the only one seen at Salcombe.

DATA

Length: not to exceed 16’. Build: Clinker. Beam: not less than 5’ 4” (many are 5’ 8” or 5’ 10”).

Fore deck: 3’. After deck 1’ 6” or more.

Side deck: 7½”. Coamings: 2”. Timbers: 11/16” moulded 9/16”. Planking: 5/16” min. Keel: 3½” outside garboard.

Ballast keel (iron): 1 cwt. Centreplate: 2 cwt. max. with depth of 4’ max.

Ballast: ½ cwt. may be carried.

Buoyancy sufficient to float centreplate, ballast keel and ballast.

Rise of floor. Freeboard: 28”, depth of hull amidships.

Depth of bow: normal trim 26” from waterline to top of planking.

Transom: 18”.

Thwarts: 8½” and side seats 5’ min.

Main mast: solid spar 24’ 6”.

Jib halyard: block at 17’ 6” from heel of mast.

Mast goes through deck into step.

SAIL AREA Maximum 150 sq. ft. Mizzen must be not less than 15 sq. ft. Main: max. 9O sq. ft. Jib: 45 sq. ft. Four battens max. length 3’ 5” in main.

Crew: three including helmsman (or less if reqd).

The beauty of the Yawl rig on this dinghy is that one can reduce sail so effectively. No reefing at all, just drop a sail or sails as required. She sails well in a blow with jib and mizzen, and indeed, many years ago, these dinghies were called Jib and Mizzen boats. I have a smaller suit of red terylene cruising sails which are excellent for single handed sailing.

Well, who is for Salcombe and a trip in Y48? Should any members be interested, please contact me at Gerrards Cross 84870, or Dunelm Cottage, Maltmans Lane, Gerrards Cross, Bucks. I shall be only too pleased to help.