News from Cygnet Wooden Boats August 21, 2020 at 11:03AM

UIRA Update No 14. Apologies it's been a little while since we had an update on UIRA. Being away from the shed I'm grateful to Senne and Matt for the taking the time to photograph the work! In 1896 when UIRA was designed and built by Charles & Walter Bailey most boatbuilders still used the time honoured method of first building a half model of the boat and then basically scaling the model up to build the full sized boat. By the late 1800's yacht design was undergoing radical changes and the more progressive boatbuilders understood they needed to embrace the new technologies of designing and drafting on paper to survive. To this end Charles Bailey Sen made sure that his aprenticed sons were schooled in this new art. So it has been 125 years since the Bailey Brothers drew up the plans of UIRA and as part of UIRA'S ongoing restoration we need to recreate the yachts keel, mast and rig and eventually a new sail plan. With this in mind Matt and Jeremy have effectively reversed the Baileys process, using modern lasers they have taken a Table of Offsets from the boat to recreate Baileys plan of UIRA on paper. It will take a while to complete the plans and when it is completed we will publish the results here! In the meantime UIRA'S aft bulkheads and engine beds are now in place.