OULTON GULL

[Ancient Geek]

I know Garry Rucklidge has an old recognition book with the Oulton Gull in it - I gave it to him-.
The Oulton Gull was a locally built Hard Chine Dinghy with a heavy centreboard and a rudder shipped in a trunk like a sailing canoe, it was in fact an American Design (Sparkman & Stephens I think!) 17 were built at Oulton and called Oulton Gulls other clubs in the UK built some locally and called them other things in the old CVRDA pictures on this site there is a picture of one at an early CVRDA Rally with black much patched Jeckells sails.
Doubtless Garry can tell more as soon as he is back from family business and Roadford too.

[roger]

The only boat I remember with black sails was Marks old Dolpin. May be thats the picture youve found.

[Ancient Geek]

That is the one!
I'm sure that the Dolphin has the same DNA give or take as the Oulton Gull.

[roger]

That is the one!
I'm sure that the Dolphin has the same DNA give or take as the Oulton Gull.

You mean it weighed a ton

[Ancient Geek]

Yep!

[Ed]

Pretty much on the button or close anyway:

From John Fisher - Sailing Dinghies - 1958

17ft Dolphin Class

17ft LOA
10ft 3in WL
5ft 8in Beam

Based like the Gull Class on W.F.Crosby's United States National One Design, the dolphins have become popular in the Plymouth are where there is a fleet of nearly thirty. Almost all are amateur built.

They are hard-chine, planked in spruce or cedar with plywood decks. They carry a large genoa type foresail used as a rule with a snubbing winch and a high aspect ratio mainsail. There is no spinnaker.

Gull One Design Class

16ft 3in LOA
5ft 5in Beam

This is a successful adaptation of the American National Class Design and is sailed on Oulton Broad, Norfolk, where there is a fleet of seventeen boats. The hull is planked hard chine "V" bottom with a good deal of 'rocker' to the keel, which helps to account for the handiness of the boat. The sail plan provides for a largish jib of 53sqft and a high aspect ration mainsail. The hollow silver spruce mast works in a tabernacle (can be swung down into the boat) for easy navigation of the Norfolk bridges.

How close either were to the American Designs...I am not sure, but I think we have discussed this before.

cheers

eib

[Ancient Geek]

Thanks ED,
I guess shared micocondrial DNA, rather than identical DNA then I know they (The O' Gulls) were "instructive" to sail real bitches!

[alan williams]

Hi AG
It's very interesting that you found the Oulton Gull to be a real bitch to sail. Both the Gull and the Dolphin boats were derived from the National One Design of America and can be considered to be a developments of it. The Plymouth Dolphin's however were built from a set of plans found in a house shortly after the Second World War. The builders of the boats had know idea as to there design origin until they were spotted by an American NOD Sailor(in 1964), on holiday in Plymouth. Plymouth Dolphin sailors have sailed in the North American Championships and I receive each year an invite to take part in them. Boat, beer and crew all to be laid on for free. I have never had time to attend as they are held in the silly time at the University/college that employs me. The Dolphin is recognised by the parent Assoc. as being a NOD although one stuck in the 1950's. The Plymouth Dolphin is a delight to sail as they are a beautifully balanced boat and is also capable of out tacking a Firefly. They are very quick in light airs, maybe the bastardisation of the original design resulted in a poor boat in the Oulton Gull?.
Due to the shortage of suitable buliding materials the Dolphins were built from what could be obtained from the HM Dockyard. Several were built out of Cedar which was to be used as coffins. Number 1 Cambrian (was owned by me), suffered fatal main frame destruction in a CVRDA event. She was built out of larch packing cases used to ship engines for USAF Lighting fighters and screwed together which steel screws hence auto destruction. The boat in the photographs refered to is built from mahogany brine barrels, used to store salted pork. She is really the last of the class that is active due to her massive construction. At the present time I have the last boat built Typhoon( no.30) in my garage. Typhoon is the lightest and also the fastest of the Dolphins but suffered in her later years by being hotted up by a young lad who over loaded the structure of the boat with 32 to 1 cascade systems on everything kicker, jib tension , backstay and shrouds, resulting in the planks splitting and a very weak hull. Typhoon is my retirement project and will have at least eight years to dry out before I get to have the time required to bring her up to a good standard.
At the very first CVRDA event three Dolpins took part and finished first, second and third in the Vintage class and were highly placed overal. The one I sailed was Gazelle (no.13), she had been decked with formica and was quickly named the MFI boat by certain CVRDA stalwarts.
Cheers Al Finn424 etc.

[Ancient Geek]

As far as I know all the Gulls went on the bonfire years ago, the reason we thought they were bitches was you have aptly described the faults of the Doplhin their sisters shared all that an a bit more the rudder being so far inboard they were a little bit over-responsive and of course they had that thing not missed a little bit by this sailor at anyrate cotton sails. I am sure the same boat built in modern materials, I have some clips of Gulls racing on Oulton Broad circa 1958. PM me with an e-mail address and I'll fwd them to you!

[Ancient Geek]

Here's the link the Pather web site is full of Dinghy Stuff some really old hang with this one and you'll see a well know dinghy sailor in his extreme youth lose his crew!
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=59113

[alan williams]

Hi AG
Great clip. What are the boats with the XX on the sail. They look beautiful.
Cheers Al

[Ancient Geek]

Oulton Broad Raters a couple have been restored recently.

[jon711]

oulton rater2.jpg

(55.66 KiB) Downloaded 223 times

Oulton Rater "Catastrophe" - totally rebuilt 3 years ago and then equipped with full carbon rig!!

[jon711]

The last Oulton Gull I saw was one we launched from Trumans for Mathew Truman to sail about 20 (ish) years ago. It leaked like a seive. One of my jobs at the yard that year was to bail the boat out everday during Oulton Week for Mathew to sail it. Interesting that it is related to an American design - I was always led to believe that Desmond Truman had designed the Oulton Gull, maybe he adopted the design from the US?

Not sure if Tony or Mathew Truman still have the Gull...

[alan williams]

Hi AG
Love the rater but feel it's been spoilt by the modern additions. The low hull with the gaff rig just looked so East Angelian and very beautiful. However the hull shape is still beautiful and I would really like to hitch a ride in one.
Regards Alan