Bursledon Gig

The Bursledon Gig is actually an adopted boat, built in fiber glass from a mould taken from a west country punt, the original boat probably dredging for oysters and doing other inshore work in Carrick Roads, Falmouth.



At 15’” LOA with a wide bean of 54", the Bursledon Gig is a stable rowing platform as was adopted by the Hamble Sea Scouts and others along the Hampshire River as a safe and versatile boat which can be rowed with up to four crew plus a cox.
With approaching 20 gigs on the river they became a regular fixture at Bursledon Regatta competing for the Sheave Trophy.



In 2010 Hamble River Rowing was formed to promote rowing on the river, the club now has two new gigs in build and another on order.

Concordia Yawl

While we are talking about Waldo Howlands Concordia Company, we might take a look at the most famous design to come out of that shop in Massachusetts.

The Concordia yawl was designed in 1938 by naval architect C. Raymond Hunt for Llewellyn Howland and built by Llewellyns son Waldo.

I found this Concordia yawl preparing to hoist anchor while cruising in the San Juan Islands near the western extreme of the Canadian border with the US.


Concordia Yawl Design Specifications:
Length Over All 39-10"
Length Waterline 28-6"
Beam (Extreme) 10-3"
Draft 5-8"
Ballast (Iron Keel) 7700 Lbs.
Displacement 18000 Lbs.
Sail Area 690 Sq. Ft.
(Fore Triangle, Mainsail and Mizzen)

Construction - Oak keel, steam bent laminated oak frames, African mahogany planking, bright mahogany deck trim, canvas covered main deck and house top, bronze plank fastenings, galvanized iron keel bolts.

Rig - Hollow spars, including spinnaker pole, stainless steel rigging, galvanized tangs, bronze fittings and winches.

The Concordia yawl has won numerous prestigious races including the Newport/Bermuda Race (1954 & 1978), the Annapolis Race (1955), Cowes Week (1955) and the Marblehead-to-Halifax Race (1955 & 1997); Proving that a cruising boat can also be competitive.

Concordia Sloopboat Feather

Glenn Woodbury is skipper of this little sloop which was designed in the mid-1960s by Captain R.D. "Pete" Culler when he was working at the Concordia Company in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA.

Feather was built by John Graham in Sausalito, California in 1983 and now resides on Marrowstone Island in Washington state.



Glenn describes his fine vessel:

"She is clinker built, 17-8" long, 5 feet wide, and draws 18 inches with the centerboard up and 3 feet with it down. She is rigged as a gaff knockabout sloop with 172 square feet of sail, 127sq ft main and 45sq ft in the jib. There is no standing rigging and the jib is set flying. She displaces 1240 pounds with rig and anchor and carries as many as six adults. She has two sets of reef cringles in the mainsail, allowing her to sail to weather in 35 knots of wind with both reefs in and the jib set"






I have sailed in company with Feather and she is as fine a small boat as you will ever find.

doryman