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Wayfarer (dinghy)
The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled fractional Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy of great versatility; it can be used for short 'day boat' trips, for longer cruises and for racing. Over 11,000 have been produced as of 2016.
The boat is 15 feet 10 inches (4.83 m) long, and broad and deep enough for three adults to comfortably sail for several hours. Longer trips are undertaken by enthusiasts, notably Frank Dye who sailed W48 'Wanderer' from Scotland to Iceland and Norway, crossing the North Sea twice. The Wayfarer's size, stability and seaworthiness have made it popular with sailing schools, and led it to be used as a family boat in a wide variety of locations.
A cruising dinghy, Wayfarers are also raced with a (2026) Portsmouth Number of 1107.
From the original wooden design by Ian Proctor in 1957 many subsequent versions of the Wayfarer have been produced. There is also a double-hulled Canadian clone, known as the CL 16, featuring a simplified rig but otherwise identical. Genuine Wayfarers can be identified by the "W" symbol on their sails.
The sail plan consists of a Bermuda rig with a main, jib, and symmetrical spinnaker. The boat uses a retractable centreboard. An optional asymmetric spinnaker and spinnaker chute is available; also available is a "sail patch" which provides flotation for the mast in the event of a capsize (and particularly to prevent the boat inverting – Turtling).
One-design racing is active and competitive — regionally, nationally and internationally.
Over its history several versions of the Wayfarer have been developed, as follows.
This was the original wooden Wayfarer designed in 1957 to be manufactured by Small Craft Limited and also by amateur builders working from authorised kits, using the measured templates and jigs supplied, with a hull and deck made from plywood. Frank Dye's famous W48 Wanderer was of course of this type, a testament to its robust construction. The boat is now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth. Other boats of this model are still racing after 60 years. The hull is of a 'three plank' construction, that is with two chines. This provides a good compromise between stability and ease of construction. Both forward and aft buoyancy compartments are fitted with large watertight hatches and this provides ample stowage space for cruising. The large floor space with flat floorboards and good clearance under thwart makes the Mark I a comfortable boat for two people to sleep in, when a boom-tent is erected for shelter. The mast is held in a tabernacle, which when rigged with a tackle on the forestay allows the mast to be lowered to pass beneath bridges. This feature was retained in subsequent models, as was the hull shape.
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Wayfarer (dinghy) AI simulator
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Wayfarer (dinghy)
The Wayfarer is a wooden or fibreglass hulled fractional Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy of great versatility; it can be used for short 'day boat' trips, for longer cruises and for racing. Over 11,000 have been produced as of 2016.
The boat is 15 feet 10 inches (4.83 m) long, and broad and deep enough for three adults to comfortably sail for several hours. Longer trips are undertaken by enthusiasts, notably Frank Dye who sailed W48 'Wanderer' from Scotland to Iceland and Norway, crossing the North Sea twice. The Wayfarer's size, stability and seaworthiness have made it popular with sailing schools, and led it to be used as a family boat in a wide variety of locations.
A cruising dinghy, Wayfarers are also raced with a (2026) Portsmouth Number of 1107.
From the original wooden design by Ian Proctor in 1957 many subsequent versions of the Wayfarer have been produced. There is also a double-hulled Canadian clone, known as the CL 16, featuring a simplified rig but otherwise identical. Genuine Wayfarers can be identified by the "W" symbol on their sails.
The sail plan consists of a Bermuda rig with a main, jib, and symmetrical spinnaker. The boat uses a retractable centreboard. An optional asymmetric spinnaker and spinnaker chute is available; also available is a "sail patch" which provides flotation for the mast in the event of a capsize (and particularly to prevent the boat inverting – Turtling).
One-design racing is active and competitive — regionally, nationally and internationally.
Over its history several versions of the Wayfarer have been developed, as follows.
This was the original wooden Wayfarer designed in 1957 to be manufactured by Small Craft Limited and also by amateur builders working from authorised kits, using the measured templates and jigs supplied, with a hull and deck made from plywood. Frank Dye's famous W48 Wanderer was of course of this type, a testament to its robust construction. The boat is now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth. Other boats of this model are still racing after 60 years. The hull is of a 'three plank' construction, that is with two chines. This provides a good compromise between stability and ease of construction. Both forward and aft buoyancy compartments are fitted with large watertight hatches and this provides ample stowage space for cruising. The large floor space with flat floorboards and good clearance under thwart makes the Mark I a comfortable boat for two people to sleep in, when a boom-tent is erected for shelter. The mast is held in a tabernacle, which when rigged with a tackle on the forestay allows the mast to be lowered to pass beneath bridges. This feature was retained in subsequent models, as was the hull shape.