Classic Solent Scow for sale in Hants United Kingdom

Wooden Ships Comments on this Solent Scow

Solent Scow sailing dinghy built by Adrian Stone on the Isle of Wight in 1989.

Recent professional refurbishment including all new alloy spars and a brand new sail.

The Solent Scow is said to have been developed in Edwardian times when local yachtsman Captain Nicholson found his blunt nose pram dinghy not suitable for the choppy waters of the Solent. In 1912 he instructed local boat builder Dan Bran to build a dinghy that was in effect a small pram with a conventional stem. The design took off in the 1920’s and 1930’s with fleets all around the Solent, all with slight variations. They were built in their hundreds by various yards around the Solent including Berthons.

In late years the design was built in GRP and from the mid 1980’s another slightly altered design came out, the brain child of boat builder John Claridge, which has seen the Scow become a popular racing fleet in several harbours around the Solent to this day.

This particular boat is unusual as she is one of the later boats but built from wood rather than GRP. Probably commissioned by an individual who wanted to race with the scows but did not want a GRP boat, she is a particularly nice example in very nice condition. She benefits from the modern Scow rig with alloy spars and an as new sail from Sanders Sails, plus she has the modern Scow rudder and centreboard design.

The boat was given a recent refit with a complete new rig, sails and mast step. The hull was stripped externally to bare wood and re-varnished and the inside of the hull sanded back and re-varnished.

Length 11’3”

Beam 4’8”

Construction

• Clinker planked in mahogany all copper rivet fastened to steam bent oak timbers.
• Oak stem and keel with a mahogany transom.
• Mahogany foredeck with a curved mahogany coaming.
• Varnished mahogany centreboard casing with a stainless steel plate.
• Scrubbed larch sole boards.
• Recently made drop plate rudder with mahogany cheeks and stainless hangings.

Rig

• Traditional Scow rig of an unstayed lug for simplicity.
• New rig with alloy spars fitted in the recent refit.
• Sail in as new condition by Sanders Sails.
• Original wooden spars still with the boat and available to the next owner.

Equipment

• Launching trolley
• All over cover
• Alloy spars and all rigging
• Sanders Sails
• New rudder and tiller
• Slatted sole boards
• Buoyancy air bags
• Original wooden spars
• Pair of oars and rowlocks