3 Tonner

[Len]

Hi Eventiders,

In the early 1960's I rember reading a book about the construction of the YM 3 Tonner yacht. Or at least I think I can rember it.

Does anyone know it's title ?
Or who wrote it ?
Or who published it ?

Are there any 3Ts around ?
Can anyone tell me how they sailed or anything else about them ?
Did any 'true amateurs' manage to build one ?

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Hello Len,

I can't help you with the book I'm afraid, but there are certainly many 3 Tonners still around, even though the design is sixty years old.

For pictures of several Buchanan designs, including some 3 Tonners, see this page.

As for amateur building -- the method this design was intended for -- there are three sets of B&W photos of one being built by a teacher in his spare time using the strip-plank method, about half-way down the page.

Mike

[Len]

In case anyone is interested, the book is titled "Amateur Boat Building" and was written by Michael Verney and has a foreword by none other than Maurice Griffiths. Published by John Murray.
I found a few copies on abebooks and bought one of them. I had completly forgotten that the book deals with much more than just building the 3-Tonner. A really good book.
The book dates from 1948. My copy is the second edition from 1952. Michael Verney wrote several books on boat building for amateurs. These included "Building Chine Boats" Which describes the hard and double chine boats sponsered at that time by Yachting Monthly. Also , I believe, one called " Complete Amateur Boat Building" ... or a similar title.

[Eventide Owners Group]

I was heavily involved with the editing and updating of Michael Verney's 'Building Chine Boats'. I had it reprinted, then a twerp on the old eoa lost all the metal plates for it, so I had to have a copy of my own scanned and redone for a later reprint!

It used to be sold by the old eoa years ago, but they must have run out now...

As it is out of print and Michael is no longer with us I am going to try and copy extracts from it and place it on the hints and tips page! A job for later in the year I suspect. Several friends who helped me write articles for it and edit it, are members of this group. The timber chapter is already on the Hints and Tips Page, courtesy of Tony Sykes, ex president of the old lot.!

Regards,
John
Eventiders

[Len]

Liebe Eventiders,

Last year I was luckey to find a copy of "Building Chine Boats" on abebooks.co.uk . It looked in perfect, unread condition but on opening the binding started to disintegrate. Now I have a bundle of loose pages but I am very glad to have them.

The other Verney book ("Amateur Boat Building", mentioned above) is very much about traditional methods, using massive timber sections and lots of bolts, nails and screws. Although good waterproof glues were available, these were treated as just another sort of sealing medium. Oft quoted as an alternative to luting with white lead paint.

I think the book is well worth having. It documents a kind of boat building which could soon be forgotten.

Grüße.

[Len]

Hi Eventiders,

Could you, please, let me know how many of the 3 Tonner drawings you have ? Also how many are still missing ?
I would like to have a set, at least all those for the hull versions.
I do not intend to build one but what I have been able to find out about it up to now interests me very much. It is, after all, one of the few "proper" boats designed for amateur construction. Sorry, no offence ment to chine boats. I am also in favour of plywood.
Thanks.

[Eventide Owners Group]

Hello Len,

we are just short of 1 sheet, the alternative gaff rig sheet. One of our Steering Group thinks he may even have a copy of this, but as he is in total upheaval from a house move, it has not been found yet!

Certainly all the hull drawings are there.

contact us by E-mail if you want a CD and I will tell you how to go about it.

Regards,
John,
Website Coodinator.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Actually, I know very well I've got it, it's just that I can't put my hands on it at the moment. (I actually bought that sheet from the old EOA, in the days when they still had some sort of an operation going.) As soon as I find the sheet I'll scan it and send it across for addition to the CD.

AB actually provided three sail-plan drawings for this hull -- a bermudan, a high-peaked gaff, and a lower gaff-plus-topsail rig. What I find to be a really interesting design feature is that he placed a set of swifters in just such a position that they could act as backstays for any of the three rigs without interfering with any of the mainsails when running, and without requiring additional runners for either of the gaff rigs. That is, the one rigging plan satisfied three different sail-plans. A very clever piece of design, I've always thought.

Mike

[Len]

Hi Mike and John,

Many thanks. Please excuse my ignorance, but what are "swifters" ? I havn't come across that term before.
Yes please, I would like a copy of the drawings which are currently available. I will send you an eMail and a donation this morning.

Regards.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Hi Len,

Swifters are just lower shrouds that are placed a fair way abaft the mast, so that they act as standing backstays. AB's secret was to put them far enough aft so that they would indeed provide the support against gaff thrust that backstays would provide, without being so far aft that they would stop the boom going forward far enough to allow the mainsail (whichever of the three it was) to set properly when running.

The 3-Tonner has three shrouds on each side, two lowers (including the swifter) and a cap-shroud that comes down between them, in line with the mast. You can see them all quite clearly in the photo John has here. But note in the photo that at some stage someone also fitted a standing backstay -- not part of the original plan, and necessitating the use of a bumkin -- as they did indeed with Sanderling as well. While in my opinion a good bowsprit can look great, no bumkin can look anything but horrible. And to put one on a 3-Tonner is almost as bad as painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa....

Mike

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

By the way, did anyone notice the legs on the 3-Tonner in that photo? A la "Sea Bear" at Scrubbers' Cove, for Arthur Ransome fans.

[Len]

Hi Eventiders !

I received the drawings CD last Friday and collected the prints from the local Druckerei yesterday afternoon. I must say, I am quite impressed. Firstly for trhe amount of help AB has provided for the amateur builder. He has gone to a lot of extra work. Secondly the design itself. I like it. It is not only very pretty, it looks well thought out and the lines suggest it should be well balanced. ( Is there, afterall, something to be said for round bilges. )

I would dearly like to hear from an owner of a 3-Tonner. What do you think of your little ship ? How does she handle ?

For me the dimensioning looks (and IS ) most awkward. Feet, inches and eights of an inch. . Why not just inches ? And why not count the weights in pounds, like the Americans do ? Yes, I know it was usual long ago at that time, but I wish it wasn't. After 30 years submersion in decimal simplicity (Germany), I find these rather off-putting. I havn't even got an English ruler so my first job will be to convert the offsets to millimetres. I am still very pleased with the drawings. Thanks for preserving them. I am sure it was worth your efforts.

[john burke]

Hi Len,
I have recently acquired a 3 tonner and I think I have a drawing showing a gaff rig. The boat still needs to be fitted out and I am busy at the moment repainting the hull. Although I am a complete novice, I agree the the hull has a beautifull shape but as far as sailing it, I'm still a long way off. I will try to get some photos to Evevtiders very soon.

[Eventide Owners Group]

We are still short of the sheet with the Gaff rig on it, so if you do have it we would love to borrow it for a week or two to get it scanned. you get a copy of the drawings on CD as a thankyou!

where are you... I know I can look you up, but it takes effort! love to add pics to the gallery when you have any,

Regards,
john

[Fiddler's Green]

Found, scanned and available! I will be trying to add this file to the website as a downloadable file, just for those who are missing the Gaff rig sheet.

Now all we need are those few sheets for the Steel WW....

cheers,
John