Rock-hopping in a wooden Twister through an elaborate maze of anchorages.
When we saw an advert for a ‘28ft teak sloop, similar to a Twister’, our attention was grabbed because we knew the designer of the Twister to be none other than Kim Holman. The boat’s history turned out to be not quite so straightforward, although we have never for a second regretted going to see her in a chilly Tyneside boatyard in October 2000.
The yacht was home-built, by amateur builder Wilfred McDonald, of South Shields, Tyneside. Not only was Wilfred skilled and fastidious, but he was also bold enough to tweak Mr Holman’s design a little. He constructed the boat in his back garden, beginning in 1963 and finishing 20 years later!
The hull is teak strips on laminated oak frames, the deadwood is iroko, the superstructure includes iroko, afromosia and marine ply, with laid teak deck and cockpit seats.
Wilfred named the boat Suda II, launched her in May 1983 and sailed locally at weekends for several years. It was after his death that we bought the boat, from his son, in October 2000. We renamed her Benita.
Wilfred’s son told us his father had made his own drawings, basing them on the Twister design and possibly also taking some inspiration from the Honeybee.
We are pretty sure the construction is unique, however she is so like a Twister that we have always considered her to be one, and the Twister Class Association doesn’t seem to disagree. As they say: “If it looks like a Twister and it sails like a Twister…”
For three years now we have kept Benita on the east coast of Sweden. There are thousands of islands and skerries scattered along this coast, forming a wonderful cruising ground, albeit one with some very ‘interesting’ navigation.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2017-Ausgabe von Classic Boat.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2017-Ausgabe von Classic Boat.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
The Need For Speed
Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today
ROW YOUR BOAT
There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?
Traditional Tool
JOINER’S NAME STAMP
Classic misuse of a word
Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward
SCUD MISSILE
Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez
BOSUN'S BAG
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.