Tom,
You are not the only person in North America with a Ballerina II .
I have one the spittin image of yours. I hope you have tried this boat
with the outboard out of her....what a difference!
How many others are there like us who have one? Mine apparently
came by freighter to Vancouver BC. She was built in '67 I think. I
have boat no 220. Now on the East coast of Canada.....we love her!
Dave Corkum

Tom,
I tried to contact the Penryn boat works probably in the early
90's. I was initially not very happy with my boat. In light winds I could not keep
her head up and was often frustrated by her. A British yacht designer in our
area told me they were like the Tanzer 22 in Britian and there couldn't be that
much wrong with her. The motor gave me problems about 10 years ago and I made a
plug (under water) for the motor well. I now use the engine only to get from and to
the launch area and have not had a dissapointing sail since. What a difference in the wake behind the boat and what a difference in performance

My boat is all FGlass, built I believe in the late 60's....I think 68.(sail #220) It apparently came over on the deck of a freighter to Vancouver and then was later sold to someone in the Toronto area. The person I purchased her from bought her there and moved to the East coast of Canada. I have had this boat since the mid 80's...and now like her very much....lots of room for a boat this size.

My boat had sometime been modified...the mast had been moved aft 6 inches, I believe to correct the lee helm problem in light weather. The rigging had not been modified so when I got her the foresails would not properly set atthe fairlead. I put tracks on her and purchased new sails....this helped. I then measured her very carefully and created a drawing to verify keel setting. The next step, I removed some area from the trailing edge of the keels. All the efforts helped make her sail better but the real answer, which probably would have made all the other efforts superfluous, was the removal of the outboard and the plugging of the well. I had tried baffles in the well before but I was shocked at the difference in this little vessel when I sailed her without the well hole in the hull....let me tell you, you will fall in love with
her all over again if you haven't tried it.

I know of several bilge keel sailboats in our area but I think theyare all of European decent....I think some of the Westerlies are bilge keel. I researched them some before I found the problem with my boat was themotor hole.

I am in a terrible spin right now with work but will try to get a picture off to you shortly....and perhaps a drawing sometime. I don't expect to part with her anytime soon. My kids won't let me. Dave Corkum

Cheeers

Tom,

Thank you for the package on the Ballerina. The brochure pictures are really interesting. I am not sure if I gave you my sail Number but it is 220. This may be more of an indication that the history of your boat and mine may somehow be wrapped up together. Is it possible that the "Blanchett" name on the brochure was a representative in the US. It may be possible that a yacht broker brought several over on
consignment. The motor that came with mine was purchased in Vancouver in the 70's. and I understood from the former owner (Benjamin Wade) that the vessel came from the west to Toronto and he brought it east to the Atlantic coast.

I will see if I can locate Ben Wade and obtain some moreinformation.

I noticed in the brochure that the layout is quite open. My arrangement has a steel post under the mast to the keel. The Vee berth area has mahogany doors which can completely close the Vee berths from the quarter berth. I have one quarter berth on the port side and a small head on the starboard side with a stove and dry sink. The battery was below the stove but I moved it up under the Vee berth to help balance the boat and to relieve the space. I anticipated making another berth there but the family got too big for the boat before I got the job done. We found that the cabin sole made a good berth and we have had up to 5 sleeing in it....three being little.
....so much for family history,

will be in touch,

Dave Corkum

LINKS of interest relating to the BALLERINA II:

Ballerina Home Page compiled by Thomas Lee, Librarian

PENRYN, Ballerina Sail Number 217, owned by Margaret Carr Lee, Ontonagon, Michigan.
BALLERINA Sail Number 220, owned by Dave Corkum, New Brunswick, Canada.
DANCING GIRL a Ballerina II being restored by Jon Palmer, Liskeard, Cornwall, England.
ALINGA, a Caprice design by Robert Tucker. Owned by Alan Deely, Sidney, Australia.
TWIN-KEELER: A Quarterly (newsletter) for Owners and Admirers of Twin Keel Sailing Craft.
SEA DART home page.
SHRIMPY a 18 foot Robert Tucker designed bilge keel boat that sailed around the world.
TUCKER DESIGNS, 15 Wrenfied, Boxmoor, Hamel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
BALLERINA a Yachts and Yachting Test. Reprinted from Yachts and Yachting October 25, 1968.
PENRYN Boatbuilding & Engineering Co. Ponsharden, Penryn, Cornwall. England
ROBERT TUCKER British yacht designer