Flying Saucer!

an area to discuss dinghy developments
Nessa
Posts: 2290
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 3:16 pm
Location: East Angular

Flying Saucer!

Post by Nessa »

The Peril
Agamemnon
Lovely little Cadet
OK 1954
Xena Warrior Princess
Finn 469
Laser 2
Wayfarer World
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by solentgal »

Not the same as the flying saucer I had..... mine was more like a Swallow...or Minisail.....ie single hander, una rigged.... and I know it WAS a flying saucer too, even though I can't remember exactly what it looked like.....was a long time ago! So there must be 2 designs of that name.......may be just as well to check which one this is with the vendor before bidding, even though she has put a link in......she describes it as more like a single hander with room for 2, whereas the one in the photo in the link is clearly a 2 man craft....seems a little odd.
BTW, I'm definitely NOT bidding on this one! :)
Sami.
Stephen Hawkins
Posts: 534
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:41 am
Location: The much maligned Swindon Town

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

It looks nice. Pity no pictures in the ebay auction.

Not that I need another boat.
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
SoggyBadger
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:39 pm
Location: Staffordshire

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by SoggyBadger »

The dinghy I remember was more like a Minisail.
Best wishes


SB
davidh
Posts: 3166
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:43 am
Location: Ventor Isle of Wight

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by davidh »

Okay - the boat in the flea bay ad is, I'm sure, a Flying Saucer - the boat in the boat data picture isn't - I was going to say Duo, certainly it is one of the boats of that ilk!

D
David H
roger
Posts: 3031
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:08 pm
Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by roger »

My dad had a flying saucer but neither of these. He and a friend built it themselves in late forties/very early fifties. No access to marine ply or any kind of ply so they made it with hardboard and tried to seal it with lots of paint or varnish. I believe it lasted about a season and a half and was mentioned as "a most unusual craft seen on the Lymington river" by the local paper. They called it the flying saucer and somewhere there is a picture of it. I will try to find it and scan it.
My Grandfather had rashly said that if they built it he would supply a mast and had to live up to his word and sure enough had a mast made. The mast outlived the boat but it was the fastest thing on the river.
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by solentgal »

It is back on:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flying-Saucer ... 19e03ff7ac

This is the type I had, and yes it is rare........didn't sail all that well from memory, but interesting all the same.....have to admit I'm slightly tempted now :?
Sami.
Pat
Posts: 2555
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: West Wiltshire (Wessex)

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Pat »

So what is the boat in the boat data picture? Sail logo looks more like a hamburger bun!
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
solentgal
Posts: 466
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:01 pm
Location: twixt Chichester & Pompey

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by solentgal »

My guess is an American design Pat......that pic looks like it is from an American magazine from the late '50s/early '60s to me....just got that sort of look that I used to see in the imported mags my Dad used to buy (and still has I believe).
Sami.
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Rupert »

Looks like quite a fun boat, looking more closely. But then old pictures of people sailing in shorts with no safety equipment in sight always look more fun...
Rupert
Pete54
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Aug 04, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Pete54 »

The boat in the ebay advert is definitely a Flying Saucer.

For a couple of years my father managed the company (whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment!), based in Shoeburyness which built them.

This boat is one of the latter ones having the small cockpit well with a self bailer. This was one of the minor improvements my father made during the production run. I sailed the prototype in the Nore dinghy race - it had two tubes that were intended to drain the cockpit. Unfortunately they leaked (the bottom of the hull is very flat and flexed!). So the 'double hull' filled with water and I ended up sailing a submarine. I beached it close to the foot of Southend pier and let the tide drain it. Of course when my Dad arrived the boat was empty and he took some convincing.

The company specialised in producing oars and paddles - virtually all of them were laminated in contrasting timber - just like the one recessed into the Flying Saucer's aft deck. My fathers real passion was the power boats they built, the Flying Saucer was the product of the owner and as commented above - it did not sail well, being substantially slower than the Minisail.
PaulM
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:23 pm
Location: Hampshire

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by PaulM »

Fenton Hill Marine - I still have an old ad for the Flying Saucer and Apollo in my scrapbook.

Paul M
Pat
Posts: 2555
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: West Wiltshire (Wessex)

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Pat »

All information, pictures and scans of articles, adverts etc would be welcome for the dinghy database - I now have the sellers permission to use their photos too so the Flying Saucer (UK) will soon get a better writeup.
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
Rupert
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Rupert »

You know, the posts above are exactly what the cvrda is about - the gathering of information that is otherwise effectively lost. Thank you for sharing!

At some point in the future, I would love to get all the sailing surfboard boats we can find together in one place, to celebrate the weird and the wonderful. Better be on flat water, I guess!
Rupert
Obscured by clouds
Posts: 715
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:23 pm
Location: north Wales

Re: Flying Saucer!

Post by Obscured by clouds »

I'd certainly be interested if people bought along any old surfboards they might have lying around :)
Tony



MR 2404 Julia Dream
N18 276 Sibrwd [ongoing project]
Hirondelle catamaran Kalipse
[down to 3!]
Post Reply