1950s Fairey Duckling with Bermuda rig and road trailer
Length 9ft
Beam 4ft
Build: Fairey Marine, 1950/60
Building & HistoryFairey Marine famous technique of hot moulding Agba veneers to make a strong, yet very light hull, for leisure boating.
The Duckling design by Uffa Fox came about after a sailing day in 5 metres at Cowes 1949. After racing you were ferried from you keel boat mooring by the local fisherman, something went wrong and no ferries appeared! Uffa in his usual style, said 'what we need is a seaworthy dinghy, that will take 4 persons in safety and six when drunk'. So the Duckling was born.
Her shape, gives a very stable dinghy, with a very good buoyancy curve which increases, with the number of persons aboard.
Soon production of the rowing version increased to a Gunter rigged sailing version and even an inboard shaft model called the 'Gosling' with a 'Jap' engine. The small motorised yachts tender were very fashionable at the time, being lifted aboard.
Pictured is the first Gunter Duckling, with an all alloy rudder, soon replaced by the wooden stock version, all the spars fitting inside the hull for storage. The dagger-board supplied a centre plate. Kapock fenders, buoyancy bags, Seagull outboards all added to the kit of the day. The early boats had a single keel with bilge rubbers and the later rowing a twin keel, so protecting the bilges better.
Children's sailing was in its infancy, this sailing dinghy got them afloat. A Bermuda mast was added with a lifting centreplate, to make a more 'racy' version, which produced class racing for the young.
Equipment• Fairey hull varnished on the inside.
• Bermuda mast & boom
• Rudder & Centreboard
• Main & Jib
• Jib cam cleats.
• Blue Cover
• Road Trailer, with new wheels & tyres.
SummaryA unique opportunity to buy a Duckling in pristine condition for her age, with all original fittings. The perfect present for the grandchildren or entry to fun classic sailing events
Price SOLD
