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Seaworthy yacht tender
A customer built Tender Behind with
atypical sail
I knew the voice on the phone, Twenty
five years ago that voice had tried to convince me that
A+B=C! And not only that, but he’d also informed me
that if I were to flick another rubber band in class he’d
give me a tender behind!
Now here was Bill Lomas, the maths teacher
of my delinquent youth asking me for a tender behind! After
explaining the reason for my merriment and sharing a good
laugh, we got down to business.
The requirement was for a tender for his
small motor sailer.
“ Big enough for Elsie and me, plus some
gear and maybe two others at times. Short enough to go up
on deck, light enough to be easily lifted up there and easy
for an old amateur to build. Oh yes, we don’t have a life
raft on the yacht so it has to be our lifeboat as well!”
No longer young, and bothered by severe
arthritis in his knees Bill also needed a boat unusually
stable for something so small. Reflecting that life is rarely
easy, I told Bill I’d be back to him in a few days.
He liked my preliminary drawings, and
we went ahead with what became known to us as “Tender
Behind”, a little boat that has become very popular
with the many others who have built her. Bill worked away
steadily at the new boat, thoroughly enjoying the building
and seeing T.B. taking shape. I visited regularly, at first
to keep tabs on the new design as it went together, then
to visit the man who was rapidly becoming a friend. I found
out that he was in fact a qualified Naval Architect, a fact
that he had been loth to mention before as few people appreciate
that the design of small craft is not something that a man
taught to calculate the internal structure of ships is familiar
with.
Bills invariable good humour and enthusiasm
for life made visiting the Lomas home an occasion to look
forward to, but sadly he did not live to see T.B. in the
water. Bill Lomas died on Christmas day 1989.
I bought the nearly completed boat from
Elsie, and still have her. She’s done a lot of miles,
carried enormous loads and done some goodly voyages on her
own. I used her at Traditional Small Craft Society meetings
one season when I was between “real” boats,
and often took three or four adults exploring several miles
up an estuary.
In trials we found that she rowed well
for something so short, carried eight people for a few strokes
of the oars without swamping and has stability that has
to be experienced to be believed. This is one of the few
small boats in which one can safely stand up and heave a
carton of stores over the rail of the mothership.
Although the rig was intended as one that
would never get small children into trouble while sailing
around an anchorage, at least two very grown-up lady children
have built their “T.B.s” at 1O% longer (just
multiply the fore and aft measurements by that amount, I
don’t think it would go well if any longer though)
with a larger balance lug rig and are using their wee boats
for quite adventurous trips. One in fact takes her sleeping
bag and puptent. Cruising comes in many guises and this
might just be the smallest practical cruiser yet.
She sails really well, in fact the wife
of one owner tells me that once their forty footer is secure
in its anchorage the main debate is who is first to sail
the tender and for how long! She tows straight and very
dry, motors safely with my 2hp Honda outboard and is still
light enough to be easily roof racked on our little car.
It’s a favourite with the family,
and with many others as well. I’ve still got mine
and have owned her for longer than any other boat I’ve
ever had.
LOA - 2.22M
7 FT 3IN
BEAM - 1.22M 4 FT
WEIGHT - 32 KG 70 LBS
POWER - Outboard to 5 HP
Capacity 350 KG (4/5 Adults in suitable conditions)
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