The Joe Burt is an Acorn 15 skiff, designed by Ian Outred and built by Fabian Bush, East St, Osea Island, Maldon, Essex CM9 8UH, telephone (0621) 886691, as a double pulling sculling boat without sailing gear. We got this boat for winter use, preferably on mild, windless days when rowing provides good exercise and keeps one warm.

LOA 15’ Beam 3’ 10” Depth 1’ 6½” Weight 130 lb

Because this hull was designed to tack easily under sail, the keel is rockered (see picture) and this is a disadvantage when rowing with a following sea, as the craft tends to broach. The remedy is to make the skeg deeper if rowing is to be the main function.

Likewise the sheer needs to be reduced or the rowlocks raised on blocks about 2” above the original gunwale to avoid the oar handles hitting one’s knees on the recovery stroke in rough water when the blades have to be raised high to clear the seas. Blocks are a nuisance as they snag on the Easi-Loader. We use spoonbladed sculls:

No. 1 sculls 9’ 8” long No. 2 sculls 9’ 3” long

The handles overlap when the sculls are held horizontally, but are apart on the power stroke. The maximum speed with two oarsmen in smooth water is 6½ knots, as measured by the Wasp speedometer log. At this speed one is towing a big quarter wave and cannot go any faster. A comfortable cruising speed with no wind in smooth water is 5 knots, but this falls to 3½ - 4 knots with a headwind of around force 3.

The Easi-Loader is made by V.V. Engineering, 37 Longridge Rd, Ribbleton, Preston, Telephone Preston (0772) 792156. It works very well, but we made ours 9” longer to give more stability to the boat when on the car.

The boat can be loaded/unloaded with gear stowed or ready to use in about 10 mins. On the car the boat is held by thin steam tarred nylon rope (ex Thomas Foulkes). Two ropes over the boat, one from each end of each roof-rack rail. These ropes are inside plastic hosepipe to stop them cutting into the hull when pulled tight. Two springs, from the forward rowing thwart to the rear roof-rack each side, to restrain the boat should the car stop suddenly.

Two ropes from the stem to chassis, each side of the front number plate, and one rope from each quarter to the towing hook of the car. We have driven over 1,000 miles like this. The only drawback is that a lot of the slipstream goes through the boat and slows the car. A canvas foredeck/dodger might help.

Winter days are short, but we have made trips of up to 15 miles in the Fal Estuary in January. The following short but energetic trip took place on 5th May, 1986 at Kielder Water, Northumberland:

We arrived at Leaplish in continuous light rain, the wind easterly, force 4-5, with waves up to 3’ high. TIME LOG READING Departure from Leaplish 1.12 pm 85.5 Passed no. 7 buoy 1.48 pm 87.2

This was a hard pull and a bumpy ride, with spray coming aboard occasionally. It took 36 minutes to row 1.7 nautical miles, an average of 2.83 knots, but we almost stopped each time we pitched into the larger waves. We headed the boat to the east of no. 7 buoy, had our picnic and explored Belling Crags. It was calm in the shelter of the pinewoods and too early in the year for midges to be on the wing. After lunch the wind had dropped to about f3 and the rain had given way to a foggy drizzle with visibility of about ½ mile. The waves had subsided to a maximum of about 2’ high.

TIME LOG READING Departure from no. 7 buoy 3.02 pm 87.4 Arrived Leaplish slip 3.25 pm 89.4

We were loaded and away in the car by 4 pm. We had steered a crooked course and covered more ground on the return trip as the visibility was poor and we had left the compass in the car! We had covered two miles in 23 minutes, an average speed of 5.22 knots. When surfing down the waves, the speedometer went past 7 knots, but we could not keep her going straight when surfing due to the rockered keel and shallow skeg. We must alter this one day, as it is good sport to be out in these conditions in sheltered water, and the boat is well able to cope with them. The oarsmen must be up to it, of course! They do not have to be of equal power, but must row together in time.

A competent pair could make an ambitious cruise in a seaworthy skiff of this type. Dinghy cruising does not have to be under sail!

1) Arrival at Kielder. Ropes slackened and untied from car; roof-rack ropes removed. Note large amount of rocker on keel and excessive sheer. Grooves in gunwales locate on Easi-Loader cross-bars. ‘R’‑clips hold E-L to roof-rack one side only.

2. Fitting extensions to Easi-Loader. ‘R’-clips taken from roof-rack rails to fix the extensions in place.

3) Easi-Loader extensions rest on ground. Foam-topped boards placed to receive bilges, boat rollers to receive bow. Boat resting on left hand pegs of Easi-Loader.

4) Bow lifted clear of front peg of Easi-Loader and lowered onto boat roller. Ends of the roof-rack project vertically between E-L frame and roller, so no movement can take place (usually!)

5) Stern lifted clear of rear peg of E-L and lowered so that gunwale now rests on foam (cow mat) topped boards. The boat is then rolled into its proper position.

6) Boat right way up, bilges resting on padded boards, ready for stowing gear from car.

7) Easi-Loader back on roof-rack, held by two ‘R’-clips, for drive to car park. Extensions inside car. Trolley (only 3’ wide) in position for launching. Boat picked up by transom and pushed to water. Trolley handle held in position by a loop of line over stem head.

8) Ready to go; note from stern:

a) Wasp speedo/log.

b) Foul weather gear

c) Rowlocks raised on blocks 7½” above rowing thwarts. 8½” would be even better for use in rough water.

d) Stretchers (not visible) for the balls of the feet.

e) Compass (Sestrel Junior) on floorboards.

f) Rowing mats.

g) Picnic.