MartinV

New Member

Registered: 27 Sep 2016

Posts: 1

Fyne Boats Wherry; will it sail?

Hi Forum Contributors

I am looking to build (or buy) a sailing canoe and am considering various options for a hull.

Not a canoe, I know, but the Fyne Boats Wherry is one such option; I have fallen in love with its lines.

Lines are all well and good, but will it sail? Has anyone out there fitted a wherry with a sailing rig?

My main concerns are freeboard and manoueverabilty, though I guess that outriggers might solve the freeboard issue (?) and that a reduced or absent skeg might help with manoeuvring.

Of course I can speculate all I like, but I would really appreciate some input from others who have knowledge of the issue, or, ideally, have been bold enough to put a rig on a wherry and can comment on its sailability.

Whether I go down that road or not, what a beautiful boat!

Regards
Martin

Derek Blay

Member

Registered: 16 Sep 2014

Posts: 17

Re: Fyne Boats Wherry; will it sail?

I  am not a boat designer but  hae owned a number of sailing dinghies.
I have also built a number of canoes and boats from Fynes kits.

The wherry reminds me very much of the Laser dinghy which cerainly can sail- overall shape and proportions look similar so I would expect similar sailing characteristice.

Fast & manouverable but unforgiving in a brisk breeze.

You would need to include a dagger board or keel,rudder and mast step - possibly components from other kits could be used - I am sure Paul at Fyne would be able to help. The Skerry is an obvious place to start

Sail rig - I guess easiest way to buy mast sail etc for an established dinghy but you  could make up a rig based on Fynes other boats I guess 60 or b 70 squ feet  of lugsail would give a fairly sedate rate of knots.

Interesting project and I might have a go myself!

Derek Blay