Wayfarer (dinghy)
The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled bermudan rigged sailing dinghy, often used for short sailing trips as a 'day boat'. The boat is 15 foot 10 inches (4.82m) long, and broad and deep enough for 3 adults to comfortably sail for several hours. Longer trips are undertaken by enthusiasts, notably Frank Dye who sailed W48 'Wanderer' from Scotland to Iceland. Their size and stability have made these boats popular with sailing schools.
The Wayfarer was originally designed by Ian Proctor in 1957, and has since gone through many new versions [1]. They can be identified by the W symbol on their sails.
Not only a versatile cruising dinghy, Wayfarers are also raced with a Portsmouth yardstick of 1099; they are best suited to larger streches of water and stronger winds.
Versions
Over its hisory several versions of the Wayfarers have been developed, they include:
Mark I Wood
This was the original wooden Wayfarer was designed for construction by both amateur and Licensed Builders. Frank Dye's famous W48 Wanderer was of course of this type a testiment to its robust construction. The boat can be seen at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth. Other boats of this model are still racing after 30 years, and new ones can still be purchased in 2004. The hill is of a 'three plank' construction, that is with two chines. This provides a good compromise between stability and ease of construction.
Mark I GRP
A Glass Reinforced Plastic version was introduced in 1965 and was similar in layout to the wooden boat. Over two thousand of this model were made and many are still in use throught the world. In contrast to other GRP models, this version has a large hatch to the forward buoyancy compartment useful for stowage when cruising, and a a forward bulkhead extenting right up to teh fordeck level. The Mark I has no side buoyancy, and coseqently does not suffer from a tendancy to invert when capsized that plagued later models. The Mark I was also available as a composite model with a GRP hull and bulkheads but plywood fore- and side-decks.
Mark II GRP
The Mark II was introduced in 1974 supposedly as an improvement. The front and rear buoyancy tanks were built into the hull before bonding on the deck. The foreward buoyancy comparment has a gapp above it and under the foredeck. Thsi would have been useful for a spinnaker chute, but class regulations of teh time did not allow that. The foreward compartment had a small circular inspection compartment thus removing much of the useful dry stowage space. Side buoyancy compartments gave this model a tendency to invert, and those owned by sailing schools soon sported socks filled with polystyrene to provide a righting moment when capsized.
Mark 1A
This GRP model was introduced in 1987 reintrucing the forward stowage space while retaining the structural improvements of the Mark II.
External links
UK Wayfarer Class Association Boutbuilders Porter Bros, click on Wayfarer
Books
- Frank Dye, Ocean-crossing Wayfarer, David and Charles (1977), ISBN 0715373714.