Our boat, which Leigh sails whenever he can, I join him when I'm not dancing! (see dance pages).
Our boat, which Leigh sails whenever he can, I join him when I'm not dancing! (see dance pages).
Sally J is a Heard 28, a Falmouth working boat, built by Terry and Martin Heard of Gaffers and Luggers in Falmouth in about 1980. She has a GRP hull and wooden topsides. The mould for the hull was taken from the last wooden working boat built by the yard (to a design by Percy Dalton).
For me the joy of these boats is that they are not all clones of each other (and they don't look plastic). most of the ones we know have been altered in some way by their owners, and if you see several berthed side by
In the years that we have owned her Sally's cabin and cockpit has been extensively reworked - by Leigh, with a little help from me. From a very small cabin and a cockpit large enough to party in - all well suited to sailing and racing in the sheltered Fal Estury, she now has a decent sized cruising cabin (big enough to party in on a fine day) and a reasonable size cockpit, less likely to hold enough water to sink her if she broaches!. She still only sleeps three, but does have a lovely charcoal burning stove.
There is now a "class association" for the owners (and potential owners) of boats built by the yard - The Gaffers and Luggers Association
There is a bye-law in the Fal Estury which does not permit oysters to be fished for by boats under mechanical power.
Boats from Gaffers and Luggers can be seen working (during the season) and racing in Falmouth harbour, together with a large number of other working boats of a variety of shapes and sizes, old and new, of wooden and other types of construction!
This is the Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Gaff Rig. The gaff is the extra spar at the top of the main sail which makes it four-sided rather than triangular.
Based in the UK, the OGA has contacts in many areas round the coast of the British Isles and in many other countries worldwide.
The OGA acts as a focal point for Gaffers (people who sail Gaff Rigged Boats) by organising area races, rallies and other meetings. Membership of the Association is open to anyone with an interest in the rig and any type of boat is welcome at the rallies, but (at the moment) only Gaff rigged boats are permitted in the races (No, not in fear of the competition from triangular sails, many gaffers regularly win in other races!)
important for all sailors, we use
The the european medium range forecasting service
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