IC K89

[Max McCarthy]

All,

I am about to get one of the most interesting boats, I have ever seen, let alone be given the grace and (future) enjoyment to own....

She is (I believe) K89, possibly built in Sweden at some point before (or even) 1971, so very close to the rule change of the class. If anyone has any information about her, I would be most grateful, if you could pass it on...

She is not (at least, I don't think she is) a Nethercotte, no the chine line is very much varied to that, and she has a wider stern. She doesn't look much like a Slurp to me, either, but perhaps she was the Slurps predecessor? And certainly not a Jack Holt canoe? However, she certainly looks like a fantastically innovative and forwards thinking boat for her time, I believe with the option to have one of the original self tackers, and a jib boom.

I am just very lucky to have been given the opportunity to be the next custodian of her.




Here you can see the wider stern shape.

Here you can see the difference in the Nethercotte's hull shape (including the chine - above right) and the mystery IC above (left).

The jib boom....
(copyright of all photos belong to dronskiuk)

If anyone has any information on this rather incredible boat, please could you let me know? She certainly, to me, seems very innovative for her age!

dronskiuk - I just want to say a huge thank you for the opportunity of this project, and I am certain that I will thoroughly enjoy her!

Cheers,

Max

PS - Michael, perhaps another reason to get your ICOD ready!?

[JimC]

There have been variations in the chine treatment of Nethercotts over the years. My gut feeling is the boat's stern is narrower than a Proctor, but I could easily be wrong. In wooden boat days it wasn't hard to vary shapes a fair bit. Of course if she's a Swedish boat anything's possible.

My very limited IC info only notes the boat as having been called Desafinado at some stage in her life. I imagine there's more in the IC Association records

I should have thought K89 would put the boat around 1965 - 1967. Self tackers with booms go back way earlier than that!

[Max McCarthy]

Thanks for the info Jim. To be honest, I am not sure if she is Swedish, German or English! The sail as registered in what I think is Sweden, the boat was bought back from Germany, but has an English sail number....

Regardless of that, I think she looks very nice...

Self tackers with booms go back way earlier than that!

Amazing, I didn't know that, now here is a question for you; when would you say that self tackers with jib booms were first implemented on canoes, or on any other dinghy for that matter?

Cheers,

Max

[Rod]

Generally IC's of the late 1960's did not have the very high foredecks of the current practice or even of this interesting model. Also the foredecks generally ended in a straight bulkhead and didn't have the foredeck extended to the chainplates as in this model. Both of these characteristics indicate maybe a later build than the late 1960's.

Rod M.

[Rupert]

Quite a boat you have there Max. I can't help on the history, but will be watching your progress with interest.

[neil]

Might be worth talking to Rob Michael as he know a lot about the UK boats and has been in the class for years.

[JimC]

Amazing, I didn't know that, now here is a question for you; when would you say that self tackers with jib booms were first implemented on

Well, they were certainly fitted on Norfolk Broads cruisers in the 1930s. Austin Farrar had a self tacking jib on a Canoe in 1951. Thing is much before the 1930s few dinghy sized boats had sloop rigs anyway, but all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff happened in the 19thC. If you google "club foot" or club footed jib" you'll find a lot of references.

These were all the old style of boomed jib where the boom was attached to the deck a bit aft of the tack so that some of the rig tension went down the clew to control twist. This didn't give much control of the jib settings which is why the current ones have a "kicker" ahead of the sail going up to around the jib halyard.

That's always the trouble with self tacking setups: in order to get reasonable control of the jib setting you seem to end up with insane complication of the gear. However insane complication of gear doesn't seem any problem for most canoe sailors!

[Max McCarthy]

Cheers all, I shall give Rob Michael a ring tonight...

[Max McCarthy]

Jim,

I had no idea that self tackers were used as early as that! And I would agree with the sentiment that most canoe sailors don't shy away from complex rigging!

Cheers,

Max