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Salterns Boatbuilders have been building the Wagtail Sailing Dinghy for 12 years..... HISTORY: The Wagtail was moulded form an old clinker sailing dinghy, typical of the better sorts that were built locally around the Solent from the 1920s to the 1950s. She has a tremendous hull form with a firm turn to the bilge making her stable; a high bow and good freeboard making her dry and a fine entry forward with a good flat run aft giving the hull a good potential for speed. DESIGN CONCEPT: The design concept was to produce a boat that would have all the appeal of a traditional clinker dinghy (without the maintenance) that could be easily trailered or used as a tender to a bigger boat. The boat was to be stable and easy to sail yet have a good performance..... a craft that would be a pleasure to sail and not just downwind! THE RIG: I designed a traditional gunter rig with a modest sized jib which can be removed as a first reef or, particularly, for novices or training sessions when the extra bits of string can confuse! The boat tacks cleanly with or without a jib and is nicely balanced through to the point pf virtual capsize. The sails are heavily made tan terylene, full cut in the traditional manner, there is good attention to detail. The jib has bronze piston hanks and all the cringles etc are stainless or bronze - no plastic bits here! The mainsail is loose footed on the boom (there is an outhaul to tune sail shape) and is controlled with the mainsheet which has a 2.1 purchase. The jib sheets run through beautiful, easy to use, bronze jamb cleats. The halyards are made up on two brass belaying pins at the mast base. The centreplate is easily raised and lowered on its tackle and is controlled with a jamb cleat under the thwart. All the controls are laid out so that the Wagtail can be sailed single handed or with a crew. The boat is easily rigged, the keel steeped mast is stayed with 2 shrouds and a forestay set up on lanyards (note: all three are identical stainless steel wire to make it easier to rig). UNDERWATER: I gave the Wagtail a deep 1/4" hot dipped galvanised centre plate and a deep powerful rudder - this combined with the gentle fore and aft keel rocker means that the Wagtail is very responsive and positive to the helm even in very light airs, this makes her easier to sail and contributes to her excellent windward performance - and yes, you can sail three point turns in our narrow creek if need be! GRP: The hull is very strongly moulded in GRP with integral buoyancy tanks for and aft (with nicely moulded non slip panels). The centre case is moulded in unit with the hull (not bonded in afterwards) for superior strength and there is considerable stiffening along the keel etc. Importantly, the hull is finished with Gel Coat on the inside as well as the outside for improved durability and appearance. FITOUT: The Wagtail is fitted out in a traditional manner in teak. No glue is used, just proper joinery with use of copper boat nails and roves where appropriate . The bottom boards are oiled spruce. The simple uncluttered layout makes the boat feel very spacious with room to sprawl about on the slatted side benches and bow and stern seats. The broad capping on the centre plate casing makes a handy extension to the rowing thwart and there is room to stow a pair of proper sized oars alongside the casing. All this is complimented by the (standard) polished bronze metal fittings to produce a boat that the owners can really be proud of. The Wagtail sells steadily with boats in the West Coast of Scotland and the East Coast of England as well as the South Coast. All fittings are stainless, bronze and tufnol as standard. The centreplate is hot galvanised steel.

• Country: United Kingdom
• Length: 12'6" (3.81 metres)