Saturday, December 05, 2015

Faering Cruiser









This 22’ 6” Faering lugsail and rowing cruiser was designed by John Harris. Hull kits and plans for building her may be obtained from Fyne Boat Kits.* A hull kit will set you back £3,700, but it includes most things required for building the boat, except for her sliding rowing seat, balanced lugsail, skulls, paint and varnish,. Although assembled by using the stitch-and-glue method for quick construction with plywood, first-time builders are advised to gain experience before taking her on.

She may appeal to kayakers and rowers who have had a taste of sailing and who would like to try their hand at beach cruising, exploring lakes, rivers and estuaries. In this respect she offers secure dry stowage, room for over-night shelter without having to assemble a tent, and a good turn of speed. It is said she can attain 6 knots in 12 knots of wind. Water ballast and a pivoting centreboard should enable her to go well to windward, even in a force 4 to 5 when reefed.

To my mind she’s an exciting boat for a young, fit single-hander who wants a bit of an adventure. Building and sailing her would bring satisfaction and a sense of achievement. If I were younger I would definitely take on the challenge.

Note

You’ll require a road trailer, but you may be able to pick one up cheaply.

Stats

Length
6.9 m (22′ 6″)
Beam
1.5 m (58″)
Draught
200 / 900 mm (8″ / 36″)
Weight
295 kg (650 lb)
Load
250 kg (550 lb)
Sail Area
11.6 m² (125 sq ft)

Links

*Faering Cruiser

Faering Cruiser - CLC Boats

Boat Design Quarterly No 42 (Shows Sail Plan and Hull Profile)

The Wooden Boat Forum - Two Faerings for Sail and Oar

Nos Bateaux - Faering Cruiser

2 comments:

Brian said...

Hi Bill, the Faering is a lovely boat indeed. John Welsford has a new design, slightly shorter 18', called Long Steps. Thought I would post a link in case you had not come across her yet. Design and build are just beginning, and John blogged about her here.
http://jwboatdesigns.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/the-new-boat-design-and-first-piece-of.html
I think she is very well resolved indeed. Elements of Scamp and Walkabout combined in a larger boat for coastal cruising. I could so see her moored on the sea wall by the River Wardens office at Keyhaven, all ready to slip away with the incoming tide into the Solent or away with the ebb to Poole and beyond.
Can you tell I like her a lot Bill?

William Serjeant said...

Thank you very much indeed, Brian. I think John has come up with a winner! Already a lot of interest is being shown by the small sailboat/boatbuilding community. With the combined elements of Scamp and Walkabout she'll be a more able boat than either of them, capable of undertaking longer coastal passages. She'll sail fast, and being self-draining she'll be able to take a bit of stick. As is the case with many a sailboat adventure, much depends on the ability of the crew. John aspires to sail her around NZ's North Island before he gets too old to so. Good for him! Armchair sailor that I have become, I'll be looking forward to hearing how he gets on. I wish him all the best.

Brian, I can see why you like the boat - perfect for Keyhaven and Solent sailing.

Cheers,
Bill.