Atkin 28' design as restoration project (Pictures included)

[WWheeler]

Recently a new project came up and bit me. A gaff rig sloop, quietly sitting under the trees, waiting for someone to come along, or to go back to the earth.

It was professionally built in mahogany and has most of the original fittings, brass portholes etc. According to documentation held by the owner, it was built by Hunter Boats in Orillia in 1934. According to some detective work, in that year Hunter built two 28 foot V-bottom Atkin-design sailing sloops. The sloops for for Colonel Sam Heward, who Heward's Point is named after, and his son-in-law Alfred Walker. I've looked at a listing of Atkin designs, which shows a "28 footer flat bottomed sloop" with a design called Great Bear.

Can anyone confirm that the design is an Atkin? Any comments on the design? It's a v-bottom with a draft of about 2-3 feet, and a 10-20 hp Volvo diesel. It's a gaff rig, with a mast that hinges on a tabernacle. All these are great features for the lakes around here. I've seen the catalog listed on the 'net, but ordering is via snail mail only, which could be tedious, especially if I've got the wrong designer.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid37/p08cb6cd7a089fcdbed99afec2529a11c/fd1c9fa9.jpg

See also Atkin Sloop (http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291191123&p=4246511529&idx=1)

[ 10-28-2002, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]

[WFK]

So,.......anybody, do you think this is the same boat? The coamings around the mast and the round port lights make it look very similar to me. It was built in 1934 but is only 26' http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid37/p8f743641a4f47bebd46a3d96e7a5ce22/fd1c8a72.jpg

[TonyH]

She looks a lot like "East Riding" (see http://www.boat-links.com/Ideal/images/EastRiding.gif) but East Riding is only 25 1/2 feet. Certainly looks like an Atkin design, anyway. Atkin often did lots of variations on designs he liked, so it's quite possible he did a 28 foot version of East Riding.

Nice find, anyway. I'm envious! It calls to mind the lines from the childrens nursery rhyme (Teddy Bear's Picnic" "....if you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise..."

Regards

Tony

[Steve Paskey]

The Atkins catalog is certainly worth having if you're interested in their boats, but the 28-footer you mention isn't shown, and there's nothing in the catalog that matches what you've got. That's not surprising, as the catalog shows only a fraction of the 800 plus boats designed by William and John.

[nedL]

In the end, if she is well founded does it really matter if she is an Atkin design? She certainly has the appearence. Looks like you may be on to a real nice find!

[WFK]

When I was younger, friends of the family had a boat that I thought looked very similar to this. It was built by Matthews,...... actually called a "Matthews sailor". I went to a site and came up with the picture I sent out yesterday.

[WWheeler]

Tony, WFK, you're right the boat is really similar in the details. I can see other things that are the same, such as the internal layout, a tabernacle, including the draft (2'7"), construction method (batten seam). Batten seam is something I haven't seen before; it appears to be substantial mahogany battens behind the planking. One detail that's different is that the boat in question is set up as a gaff rig, with a bow sprit and 2 foresails. This is a nice touch. The only thing that may be really different is that the hull is hard chine, which may be an advantage given the shallow draft, and it's easier to plank.

[ 10-29-2002, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]