20160701

I bought Roger Barnes' book 'Dinghy Cruising Companion' and read it from cover to cover. Most of his comments made a lot of sense.

Then I started thinking about a suitable boat. A pocket yacht made no sense anymore. It would have to be a proper dinghy.

My first thoughts were to convert my 11ft TopHat dinghy for dinghy cruising. This would mean adding 10cm to the topsides, installing a lug sail and changing the interior layout. Although it would change the character of this uncomplicated dinghy but it would still be a very small boat.

Of the boats discussed in the Dinghy Cruising Companion book, the Ilur Design by Francois Viviers impressed me as a versatile little boat. The book contained many photos of Roger Barnes' Avel Dro, which is a clinker Ilur built in 1994 or thereabouts. It is well set up for dinghy cruising with its standing lug, open cockpit and no-nonsense finish. I would look out for a second hand Ilur, or build one myself.