Building CONSTANCE
The "Wenda", designed by Albert Strange in 1899 as a "Fast Cruiser Canoe Yacht" has the following dimensions: LOA 24'9"; LWL 19'3"; Beam 6'5"; draught 2'3"/5'; Sail Area 295sq ft; displacement 1.5tons ; ballast keel 12.6cwt;and steel c/board 1.5cwt. She was intended to be built very lightly.
The boat was not built, and the plans survived only as incomplete drawings in the 1906 edition of Folkard's "The Sailing Boat". These drawings intrigued many yachtsmen and designers for years and eventually WoodenBoat Magazine asked Phil Bolger to draw up a full set of plans - staying as faithful to what was known of the original "boat-to-be" as he could.
Several boats have been built using these plans, with some variations in approach and final result.
Dick Wynne, canoe yawl enthusiast and owner of "Bunny", a 15 ft canoe yawl from David Moss (modern construction), came with the proposal for a Wenda design built traditionally using clinker construction. Furthermore it was to be "robust" and workmanlike - i.e. not "as light as possible" nor over-finicky - partly to make an economic job. After much discussion Dick was persuaded that it was necessary to allow for extra displacement which required a slight expansion of the lines at the lofting stage.
It was originally intended to build the hull for Dick to finish but in the end I completed the whole boat, helped part-time by colleagues David Showell and George Rogers. From the initial planning of the project to launching the boat took about 3 years, (exacerbated by my losing 6 months with a broken leg) - the building of the boat itself spread over 20 months, built outside under a tent in the yard (an advantage of traditional building - you don't need high temperatures) . This says a lot for Dick's patience! It also illustrates the point that such projects often take longer if you choose a small builder; balanced against more personal control and involvement, and at a lower labour rate.
