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