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Having a sailboat out on a mooring
obviously makes having a dinghy to get to it helpful. I'd had my eyes
open for a used one since picking up "Chip Ahoy" last winter
and all along it was right next door!
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I spotted it one early-spring morning after
uncovering "Chip Ahoy," laying in the strip of woods that
separates my property from my neighbors', It was turned over much as it appears
in this picture, covered with leaves and apparently there for quite some time. I asked my
neighbor if he was doing anything with it.
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He didn't have a boat any more, and
told me if I can use it, take it away. So I dragged it up the hill that
separates us, flipped it over, and inspected it more closely.
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It was in really rough shape, but it
had once been a fine dinghy -- or as I've since learned, properly called
a dhow -- very well constructed with the best materials. It was going to
be worth a restoration effort. |
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It will need complete refinishing, but the biggest
problem is the gunwale rail. From being left upside-down on the ground
for too long, I concluded, the bronze-riveted rail had rotted and was
the consistency of dry Styrofoam, crumbling off in my hands. It will need
replacement. |
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The seats are structurally in good shape but need
refinishing. The bronze fittings will have to be cleaned up to remove
the green corrosion. |
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The aft seat and transom board.
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On the transom board I found a faint stencil and etching
that provided a clue to the manufacturer: ...ER DHOW - BUILT BY
ANCHORAGE - PATENT # 2353020 - 1233. A Google search on the
Internet led me to Dyer Boats of Warren, Rhode Island, which makes a
Dyer "Dhow" Dinghy and I assume that's the builder. I've
contacted them by e-mail and await a response. |
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I'm hoping I can buy the original material to replace the
gunwale rail from Dyer Boats, but if not I'll fabricate my own. |
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The "gutted" dinghy. (July 15, 2003) |
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What's a sailboat without a
dinghy ... or a dhow! |
