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Wanderer (sailing dinghy)
Encyclopedia
The Wanderer is a 14 foot (4.3 meters = 14.1 feet) Fiberglass
hull
Bermuda rig
ged sailing dinghy
designed by Ian Proctor
. One of the main objectives of the design was to produce a robust safe and versatile dinghy that could be used for knockabout day sailing and cruising as well as racing, but was light enough to be handled ashore.
The Wanderer has Main
and Jib
sails it can also be fitted with a Spinnaker
. Reefing of the main sail is by slab reefing, the jib can also be fitted with roller furling system. The boat has high intrinsic stability, and the normal wooden centreplate can be replaced with an 85 pound steel centre board which makes it even harder to capsize. The relatively light weight of the boat contributes to its ease of launching and recovery. The design allows for fitting of an outboard motor
of up to 3.3 hp
. There is very ample storage which includes a waterproof locker for storage of the outboard motor when not in use.
On the water the boat can be recognized by its Sail logo
of a white W in a blue circular background. Over 1600 boats have been produced.
The Wanderer has an active class association with a web site http://www.wanderer.org.uk. The association organises national racing and cruising events all over the United Kingdom
.
The Wanderer dinghy has evolved during the years of manufacture, one of the most significant early changes was the introduction of the MD modification. This was a modification to the distribution of buoyancy resulting in a reduction in the floating height of the boat after a capsize thus aiding recovery. The initial design brief was given to Ian Proctor by Margaret Dye who wanted a lighter dinghy than the Wayfarer
that she had sailed with her husband Frank. Margaret and Frank Dye
have a wealth of dinghy cruising experience, and their adventures have been captured in Margaret's book Dinghy Cruising – The Enjoyment of Wandering Afloat. ISBN 0-7136-5714-6.
More recently Hartley Laminates took over the copyright and manufacturing license for the design. They secured the services of Phil Morrison
to redesign the deck plug to modernise the appearance of the boat, allow the hull to self drain through transom flaps and to reduce the complexity of building the hull and thus production costs while retaining the same hull shape and rig.
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
Bermuda rig
Bermuda rig
The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats...
ged sailing dinghy
Dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls:* the sails* the foils ....
designed by Ian Proctor
Ian Proctor
Ian Douglas Ben Proctor, FRSA, known as Ian Proctor, was a prolific designer of both sailing dinghies and cruisers...
. One of the main objectives of the design was to produce a robust safe and versatile dinghy that could be used for knockabout day sailing and cruising as well as racing, but was light enough to be handled ashore.
The Wanderer has Main
Mainsail
A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
and Jib
Jib
A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...
sails it can also be fitted with a Spinnaker
Spinnaker
A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...
. Reefing of the main sail is by slab reefing, the jib can also be fitted with roller furling system. The boat has high intrinsic stability, and the normal wooden centreplate can be replaced with an 85 pound steel centre board which makes it even harder to capsize. The relatively light weight of the boat contributes to its ease of launching and recovery. The design allows for fitting of an outboard motor
Outboard motor
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...
of up to 3.3 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
. There is very ample storage which includes a waterproof locker for storage of the outboard motor when not in use.
On the water the boat can be recognized by its Sail logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
of a white W in a blue circular background. Over 1600 boats have been produced.
The Wanderer has an active class association with a web site http://www.wanderer.org.uk. The association organises national racing and cruising events all over the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Wayfarer (dinghy)
The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy, often used for short sailing trips as a 'day boat'. The boat is 15 feet 10 inches long, and broad and deep enough for three adults to comfortably sail for several hours. Longer trips are undertaken by enthusiasts, notably...
that she had sailed with her husband Frank. Margaret and Frank Dye
Frank Dye
Frank Dye was a sailor who, in two separate voyages, sailed a Wayfarer class dinghy from the United Kingdom to Iceland and Norway. An account of this was written by Frank and his wife Margaret, published in 1977 as Ocean Crossing Wayfarer...
have a wealth of dinghy cruising experience, and their adventures have been captured in Margaret's book Dinghy Cruising – The Enjoyment of Wandering Afloat. ISBN 0-7136-5714-6.
More recently Hartley Laminates took over the copyright and manufacturing license for the design. They secured the services of Phil Morrison
Phil Morrison (yachts)
Phil Morrison is a British boat designer and racer rendered notable by the success of his many designs in many classes since 1967 as well as his own distinguished yacht racing career.He was born in Eastbourne, England....
to redesign the deck plug to modernise the appearance of the boat, allow the hull to self drain through transom flaps and to reduce the complexity of building the hull and thus production costs while retaining the same hull shape and rig.